Ontogenetic development of hearing sensitivity to airborne sound in the female red-eared slider,Trachemys scripta elegans

Red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Spectral sensitivity of the photointrinsic iris in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Our goal in this study was to examine the red-eared slider turtle for a photomechanical response (PMR) and define its spectral sensitivity. Pupils of enucleated eyes constricted to light by ∼11%, which was one-third the response measured in alert behaving turtles at ∼33%. Rates of constriction in enucleated eyes that were measured by time constants (1.44-3.70 min) were similar to those measured...

Daily and seasonal rhythms in the respiratory sensitivity of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans).

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the daily and seasonal changes in ventilation and breathing pattern previously documented in red-eared sliders resulted solely from daily and seasonal oscillations in metabolism or also from changes in chemoreflex sensitivity. Turtles were exposed to natural environmental conditions over a one year period. In each season, oxygen consumpt...

Hormone levels in yolk decline throughout development in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans).

This study investigates the potential effects of maternally derived hormones present in the yolk of reptile eggs. Specifically, we ask when are these hormones utilized by developing red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Eggs were incubated at 27 degrees C, a male-producing temperature, and at 31 degrees C, a female-pr...

Effects of exogenous corticosterone on locomotor activity in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans.

We investigated the effects of exogenous corticosterone on the locomotor activity of captive red-eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta elegans. An increase in plasma corticosterone often increases locomotor activity in mammals and birds, but there are no reported findings for turtles. In this study turtles implanted with corticosterone-filled Silastic((R)) implants showed a significant increa...