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Effects of Maternal Identity and Incubation Temperature on Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) Metabolism
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Effects of Maternal Identity and Incubation Temperature on Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) Metabolism

Anthony C Steyermark and James R Spotila
Physiological and biochemical zoology, v 73(3)
May 2000
PMID: 10893169

Abstract

Individual variation in physiological traits may have important consequences for offspring survivorship and adult fitness. Variance in offspring phenotypes is due to interindividual differences in genotype, environment, and/or maternal effects. This study examined the contributions of incubation environment, maternal effects, and clutch identity to individual variation in metabolic rates in the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina. We measured standard metabolic rate, as determined by oxygen consumption, for 246 individuals representing 24 clutches at 15° and 25°C, and we measured standard metabolic rates additionally for 34 individuals at 20° and 30°C. Standard metabolic rate for 34 snapping turtles measured at 15°, 20°, 25°, and 30°C increased with increasing temperature. Mean standard metabolic rate for 246 individuals was 0.247 L O2 min−1 g−1 at 15°C and 0.919 L O2 min−1 g−1 at 25°C. At 15°C, mass at hatching, individual mass, and egg mass had no significant effects on metabolic rate, but at 25°C, mass at hatching, individual mass, and egg mass did have significant effects on metabolic rate. Incubation temperature had no significant effect on metabolic rate at 15°, but it did have a significant effect at 25°C. Clutch identity had a significant effect on metabolic rate at both 15° and 25°C. Interindividual variation in standard metabolic rate due to incubation temperature, and especially clutch identity, could have large effects on energy budgets. Results suggest that there were both environmental and genetic effects on standard metabolic rate.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Physiology
Zoology
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