Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
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Online Publication Date: 28 Mar 2023

Hatchling Smooth Softshell Turtles (Apalone mutica) Perform Respiratory Pushups While Overwintering

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Page Range: 70 – 74
DOI: 10.1607/21-036
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Abstract

We observed overwintering behavior of bimodally respiring hatchling Smooth Softshell Turtles, Apalone mutica, in two small outdoor ponds that differed in depth. Hatchlings buried themselves shallowly in a sand/mud substrate at the bottom of the ponds. In the deep pond, hatchlings periodically raised and lowered the posterior portion of their body into the water column in a respiratory “pushup” fashion. In the shallow pond, hatchlings did not perform pushups nor snorkel to breathe air. Pushups were similar in appearance and form among turtles but occurred with variable frequency within and among individual turtles. Pushup frequency of hatchling A. mutica was 43% slower than reported for larger A. mutica.

Copyright: Copyright 2023 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 2023
<sc>Fig. 1. </sc>
Fig. 1. 

(A) Up position of a pushup of an overwintering hatchling Apalone mutica photographed through ∼15 cm of cloudy water. (B) Down position of the same pushup. The externally mounted bead and passive integrated transponder tag combination is evident.

<sc>Fig. 2</sc> . 
Fig. 2 . 

Mean pushup intervals pooled across 20-min bouts for each of seven Apalone mutica overwintering in the deep pool. Five hatchlings (nos. 8–12) overwintering in the shallow pool did not perform pushups and are not represented on the graph. Plotted are means ± 1 SE. Numbers above each bar are sample sizes.

<sc>Fig. 3. </sc>
Fig. 3. 

Mean pushups per minute for nine overwintering hatchling Apalone mutica compared with results reported in a similar study of 12 larger juvenile A. mutica (Plummer and O'Neal, 2019). Error bars indicate ± 1 SE.

Contributor Notes

2 Corresponding author. E-mail: plummer@harding.edu
Accepted: 06 Nov 2022