Body Temperature of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta Caretta and the Leatherback Sea Turtle Dermochelys Coriacea During Nesting

Abstract

Body temperatures of logerhead and leatherback turtles recorded during nesting excunions were found to be greater than sea temperatures. Leatherback turtles exhibited greater temperature differentials (5,3 -6,2S 0 C) than logerhead turtles (1,9 -3,22°C). The possibility that leatherback turtles may have a preferred temperature range (30-32°C) as is the case in terrestrial chelonians is discussed. Recordings of exhaled air temperatures suggest that leatherback turtles may employ a countercurrent heat exchange system in the nares in order to conserve body heat.

TheRete tibiotarsaleand Arteriovenous Association in the Hind Limb of Birds: A Compartive Morphological Study on Counter-current Heat Exchange Systems

“…Concerning the reptiles, almost nothing is known about the vascular pattern in the extremities, and to my knowledge retia have only been described in the flippers of the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) (Greer et al 1973). I t is interesting that this species has been reported to have body temperatures well above the (environmental) sea water, indicating that the animal to some extent is endothermic/homeothermic (Frair et al 1972, Sapsford andHughes 1978). However, the rete in the rear flipper of the Leatherback Turtle is situated in the femoral region and, therefore, is probably not homologous to the rete tibiotarsale in birds.…”

Thermal and biochemical characteristics of the lipids of the leatherback turtleDermochelys coriacea: evidence of endothermy

“…Pritchard (1969) was the first to suggest that D'ermochelys might be endothermic and Mrosovsky & Pritchard (1971) calculated that a large leatherback might be able to maintain a body temperature of about 26°C in water at 12°C by virtue of body size alone if the normal tropical metabolic rate was increased fivefold. Sapsford & Hughes, 1978). During the 1970s measurements of body temperatures upon leatherbacks studied in the tropics revealed relatively small differences (<5-5°C) between body and ambient temperatures (e.g.…”

“…During the 1970s measurements of body temperatures upon leatherbacks studied in the tropics revealed relatively small differences (<5-5°C) between body and ambient temperatures (e.g. Sapsford & Hughes, 1978). Only one relevant observation of body temperature in a leatherback captured in temperate waters appears to have been made (Frair et al, 1972).…”

Thermal Conductivity of Sand and Its Effect on The Temperature of Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta) Nests

“…First, there may be a poor correlation between the deep sand structure and the surface structure. Since digging is probably energetically costly (Sapsford & Hughes, 1978;Jackson & Prange, 1979) there may be a significant cost to locating suitable deep substrate. Second, mean temperature may be a poor indicator of the ultimate sex of the offspring and variance in temperature may be important (Georges et al, 1994).…”