Journal article
Operative Environmental Temperatures and Basking Behavior of the Turtle Pseudemys Scripta
Ecology (Durham), v 64(5), pp 989-999
01 Jan 1983
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Operative environmental temperatures (T"e, an index of the thermal environment) were measured for basking Pseudemys scripta in South Carolina. Operative environmental temperatures were good predictors of the basking behavior of P. scripta. Turtles in this study generally did not bask unless T"e was 28@?C (preferred body temperature) or higher. This demonstrated that basking was not a random behavior in respect to T"e, and implicated thermoregulation as a major factor eliciting basking behavior. Operative environmental temperature was positively related to short-wave and total solar radition as well as to air and substrate temperature. Substrate temperature was the best single predictor of T"e. A multiple regression equation (T"e = 0.005R + 0.103T"a - 1.16 log V + 0.932T"s - 2.54, r^2 = .90, where R = total radiation in watts per square metre, T"a = air temperature in degrees Celsius, V = wind speed in metres per second, and T"s = substrate temperature in degrees Celsius) defines the relationship of T"e to microclimate variables. Movement of the sun through the day results in spatial variation in T"e's available to turtles and influences their location and basking behavior.
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Details
- Title
- Operative Environmental Temperatures and Basking Behavior of the Turtle Pseudemys Scripta
- Creators
- Kenneth M. CrawfordJames R. SpotilaEdward A. StandoraState Univ. College at Buffalo, NY
- Publication Details
- Ecology (Durham), v 64(5), pp 989-999
- Publisher
- The Ecological Society of America
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES); [Retired Faculty]
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:A1983RJ86800004
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-0020929934
- Other Identifier
- 991021013198404721
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- Ecology