Abstract
Deviations from the normal scute formulae of turtles are thought to result from embryonic mutations, the specific causes of which are unknown. We examined the shells of 127 ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) from central and eastern Kansas; 14 (11%) of which had scute anomalies. The frequency of anomalies was greater in central than eastern Kansas. The greater number of scute anomalies in central Kansas may be the result of temperature or moisture stress during egg development or incubation, or the mutagenic effects of excess salinity during those periods.
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