Abstract
ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 38:45-53 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00935 Effects of incubation temperature on hatchling performance and phenotype in loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta Alejandro Usategui-Martín1,*, Ana Liria-Loza1, Jeffrey D. Miller2, María Medina-Suárez3, Saray Jiménez-Bordón4, Valentín Pérez-Mellado5, Daniel Montero1 1University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, EcoAqua University Institute, Telde, Las Palmas 35214, Spain 2Biological Research and Education Consultants, Missoula, Montana 55801, USA 3NGO Cabo Verde Natura 2000, Sal Rei 5110, Cape Verde 4NGO Asociación para el Desarrollo Sostenible y Conservación de la Biodiversidad, Agüimes, Las Palmas 35118, Spain 5University of Salamanca, Department of Animal Biology, Salamanca 37007, Spain *Corresponding author: ausategui@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Under natural conditions sea turtle eggs are subjected to a changing thermal environment, but little is known about the effect of these temperature fluctuations during incubation on the performance and phenotype of hatchlings. The aim of this study was to determine how incubation temperature pattern (increasing or stable) and incubation temperature regime (low or high) affect incubation and hatching duration, hatching and emergence success, hatchling phenotype (carapace length and weight) and self-righting interval at hatching. Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) clutches were collected at different beaches on the Cape Verde archipelago and divided among incubators with different temperature regimes and patterns. Minimum straight carapace length and weight of all individuals were measured at hatching. In addition, the hatching duration and the time interval required for each hatchling to self-right were recorded. Results showed that incubation temperature regimes influenced all studied parameters more than the increasing temperature pattern. Low incubation temperature regimes, both in the increasing and stable pattern, increased the incubation time, produced bigger hatchlings and caused a slower righting response compared to the high temperature regimes. An optimal range of incubation temperatures was determined by assessing the most favorable values for hatchlings, although some differences were found in the higher temperatures of this optimal range between different rookeries. This means that turtle incubation in the laboratory should, as far as possible, follow the natural incubation temperature fluctuation of the studied rookery. KEY WORDS: Loggerhead sea turtle · Caretta caretta · Incubation temperature regime · Incubation temperature pattern · Hatchling performance · Hatchling phenotype · North Atlantic Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Usategui-Martín A, Liria-Loza A, Miller JD, Medina-Suárez M, Jiménez-Bordón S, Pérez-Mellado V, Montero D (2019) Effects of incubation temperature on hatchling performance and phenotype in loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta. Endang Species Res 38:45-53. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00935 Export citation Mail this link - Contents Mailing Lists - RSS Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 38. Online publication date: February 07, 2019 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.
Highlights
The northeastern Atlantic subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), is considered Endangered based on its small area of occupancy and continuing decline in habitat area (Casale & Marco 2015)
Incubation time was significantly affected by incubation temperature, both pattern and regime (F = 9714, p < 0.05)
The Games-Howell test determined that eggs incubated at high temperature presented shorter incubation times (p < 0.05) than eggs incubated at the lower temperature
Summary
The northeastern Atlantic subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), is considered Endangered based on its small area of occupancy and continuing decline in habitat area (Casale & Marco 2015). Several environmental factors during the incubation period, such as hydric properties of the substrate (Reece et al 2002) and nest temperature (Booth et al 2004) contribute to hatchling performance, growth rate and size, and the amount of residual yolk (Reece et al 2002, Booth et al 2004, Booth 2006, Burgess et al 2006). Equal numbers of males and females are produced around 29°C, known as the pivotal temperature (PT). Different proportions of both sexes are produced at 2 to 3°C around the PT, known as the transitional range of temperature (TRT) (Mrosovsky 1994). An increase in substrate moisture will increase the incubation time and the length and weight of the hatchlings (SifuentesRomero et al 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
