Literaturdatenbank
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Kinneary, J. J. (1993). Salinity relations of chelydra serpentina in a long island estuary. Journal of Herpetology, 27(4), 441–446.
Added by: Admin (13 Sep 2009 10:11:17 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Kinneary1993 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Chelydra, Chelydra serpentina, Chelydridae, Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Physiologie = physiology, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises Creators: Kinneary Collection: Journal of Herpetology |
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| Abstract |
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I examined the use of saline habitats by the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) in a Long Island estuary, where salinities range from fresh water (0 ppt) to approximately 70% seawater (100% seawater = 35 ppt). Movements, blood osmotic concentration, feeding habits, and leech infestation were monitored. Salinity data and field observations of distribution offer circumstantial evidence that snapping turtles are restricted to salinities hypoosmotic to the blood plasma (308 milliosmolal). Turtles were placed in enclosures at capture sites in a saline tidal creek in an attempt to test the possibility that other factors might be important in determining range extension into saline waters. These experiments showed that the turtles are unable to osmoregulate when forced to remain in relatively saline water (mean salinity = 13.9 ppt) over periods ranging from 11 to 27 d and offer conclusive evidence that water salinity is a dominant factor limiting snapping turtle distribution in estuaries.
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