Effect of Water Temperature and Oxygen Levels on the Diving Behavior of Two Freshwater Turtles: Rheodytes leukops and Emydura macquarii

Priest, Toni E.; Franklin, Craig E.

doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2002)036[0555:eowtao]2.0.co;2

Cited by 31 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Sea turtles are excellent subjects for such studies because, unlike some freshwater species (e.g. Girgis 1961, Priest & Franklin 2002, they rely entirely on gas exchange at the water surface. In contrast to most diving endotherms, sea turtles have a time budget that is constantly and extremely biased towards time spent submerged (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cold-blooded divers: temperature-dependent dive performance in the wild hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata

Storch

Wilson²,

Hillis-Starr³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Sea turtles are diving ectotherms that are influenced by the temperature of the ambient water, although swimming activity can temper this influence via increased body temperatures enhanced by the thermal inertia of these large animals. We successfully equipped 3 nesting hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata with time-depth recorders (TDRs) to monitor water temperature and dive depth over the duration of the re-migration interval between 2 successive nesting seasons. Data sets for up to 22 mo were obtained, showing fluctuations in water temperature over the seasons. Nocturnal dive behaviour of the turtles at their foraging grounds revealed an increase in dive duration with decreasing water temperatures in winter. A model is provided to estimate dive duration for the range of temperatures experienced by this species in the wild. The data on vertical velocity during ascent and descent phases as a parameter for activity failed to show thermal dependence. It is concluded that changes in water temperature have an effect on the behavioural ecology of hawksbill turtles.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cold-blooded divers: temperature-dependent dive performance in the wild hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata

Storch

Wilson²,

Hillis-Starr³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Reduced dive capacity at elevated water temperatures has been experimentally demonstrated in numerous ectothermic vertebrates, including : sea snakes (spinebellied sea snake, Hydrophis curtus, elegant sea snake, Hydrophis Elegans and the Arafura file snake, Acrochordus arafurae), the alpine newt (Triturus alpestris) and freshwater turtles (Fitzroy River turtle, Rheodytes leukops; Mary River turtle, Elusor macrurus; white-throated snapping turtle, Elseya albagula) (Priest and Franklin, 2002;Clark et al, 2008;Storey et al, 2008;Samajova and Gvozdik, 2009;Udyawer et al, 2016). Dive durations in the Arafura file snake, for example, are reduced by 63% in response to acute water temperature increases from 20°C to 32°C (i.e.…”

Section: Diving In a Warming World: Constraints And Underlying Mechanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The maximum duration an animal can remain submerged before oxygen debt is incurred is defined as the aerobic dive limit (ADL; Butler, 2006). The ADL of ectotherms is inversely related to water temperature (Herbert and Jackson, 1985;Fuster et al, 1997, Prassack et al, 2001Priest and Franklin, 2002). As the body temperature of a diving ectotherm equilibrates with water temperature, oxygen depletion rates become directly related to water temperature (temperature quotient, Q10 effect; Pough, 1976;Jackson, 2007), with oxygen stores being consumed more rapidly at 'warm' compared with 'cool' temperatures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…short-term) increases in water temperature markedly reduce diving performance in a number of ectothermic vertebrates (Priest and Franklin, 2002;Gordos et al, 2003;Campbell et al, 2010a;, these findings are limited when estimating an organism's vulnerability to climate warming, as the capacity for thermal acclimation to act as a safeguard is rarely assessed (cf. Clark et al, 2008;Bruton et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…time spent submerged/dive duration) is inversely related to water temperature (Fuster et al, 1997, Prassack et al, 2001Priest and Franklin, 2002). Shortened dive times translate into less time available for obligate underwater activities such as foraging/hunting, predator avoidance, sleep/rest and social interactions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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DIVING IN A WARMING WORLD: Thermal constraints on the diving capacity of estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus)

Rodgers¹

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A central challenge in conserving biodiversity is predicting the consequences of anthropogenic climate change on species' distributions and persistence. Forced climate change has severely altered thermal regimes in marine and freshwater habitats. Rapid escalations in environmental temperatures may be particularly threatening to ectothermic species (almost all plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles), where body temperature and concomitant functional performance are strongly tied to the thermal environment. The threat of overheating is salient for air-breathing, ectothermic divers, such as the estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus, Schneider, 1801), because submergence times are inversely related to water temperature. It is unknown how C. porosus will fare in warming waters but diving oxygen stores are hypothesised to be consumed more rapidly at elevated temperatures leading to a reduction of aerobic dive limits (i.e. maximum submergence time before lactate is accumulated). Shorter dive durations may force animals to spend more time at the water surface, leaving less time available for obligate underwater activities (e.g. predator avoidance and hunting for aquatic prey).This thesis assessed the effect of elevated water temperatures (emulating climate change scenarios) on the diving physiology and behaviour of C. porosus. The thermal sensitivity of predator avoidance dives (i.e. minutes submerged) was assessed in juveniles at three water temperatures reflecting climate change scenarios (Chapter 2). Diving performance was thermally sensitive with dive durations halving between the 'no warming' and 'moderate warming' scenarios. Ectotherms are however revered for their thermal acclimation/acclimatisation capacity following long term exposure to novel temperatures; whereby an animal's underlying physiology is responsively altered to maintain or optimise performance. For this reason, the acclimation capacity of C. porosus was assessed by exposing crocodiles to thermal acclimation treatments for a minimum of 30 days. Thermal acclimation treatments had no effect on dive durations -a result indicative of absent thermal acclimation capacity at elevated temperatures within 30 days.ii The physiological mechanisms underlying compromised diving performance at elevated temperatures were subsequently examined (Chapter 3). Reduced diving performance was hypothesised to be linked to increased oxygen demands and a reduced capacity for metabolic depression at elevated temperatures. Diving oxygen uptake, diving heart rate and post-dive plasma-lactate concentrations were assessed at two test temperatures (i.e. 28•C and 34•C). Diving metabolic rate increased threefold between 28•C and 34•C and the capacity to depress metabolic demands (from surface levels) was inhibited by 46%. Post-dive plasma-lactate accumulation was independent of water temperature. Collectively, these results show the aerobic dive limit of C. porosus was significantly reduced at elevated temperatures and animals behaviourally terminated dives...

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Seasonal and diel dive performance and behavioral ecology of the bimodally respiring freshwater turtle Myuchelys bellii of eastern Australia

Fielder

2011

J Comp Physiol A

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Freshwater turtles have an extraordinary physiological ability to endure dive times that can range from days to months using aquatic respiration. In cryptodires (e.g., white-lipped mud turtle Kinosternon leucostomum) aquatic respiration is via buccal or cutaneous routes whereas in pleurodires (e.g., Fitzroy River turtle Rheodytes leukops), it is achieved primarily via specialized cloacal bursae. This study records the voluntary diving performance of the western sawshelled turtle Myuchelys bellii in Bald Rock Creek from the temperate zone of the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia. Myuchelys bellii has a moderately specialized cloacal bursae morphology compared to other pleurodiran turtles and displays impressive dive durations spanning more than 15 days during the winter months. This is attributed to its ability to maintain aerobic dives via its cloacal bursae and low water temperatures in winter. Myuchelys bellii seasonal and diel diving performance, including its crepuscular habit, is comparable to R. leukops and Elseya albagula. This study also recorded the first aquatic hibernation at depth (>3 m) for any freshwater turtle; and only the second pleurodire to demonstrate aquatic hibernation as an overwintering strategy. Observed thermoregulation behavior in M. bellii is believed to provide multiple life history benefits.

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Effect of Water Temperature and Oxygen Levels on the Diving Behavior of Two Freshwater Turtles: Rheodytes leukops and Emydura macquarii

Cited by 31 publications

References 17 publications

Cold-blooded divers: temperature-dependent dive performance in the wild hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata

Cold-blooded divers: temperature-dependent dive performance in the wild hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata

DIVING IN A WARMING WORLD: Thermal constraints on the diving capacity of estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus)

Seasonal and diel dive performance and behavioral ecology of the bimodally respiring freshwater turtle Myuchelys bellii of eastern Australia

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