SREL Reprint #3488

Egg and clutch sizes of western chicken turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria)

Donald T. McKnight1,2, Ethan C. Hollender1, Hunter J. Howell3, John L. Carr4, Kurt A. Buhlmann5,
and Day B. Ligon1

1Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, USA
2College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
3Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
4Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana, USA
5Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina, USA

Abstract: Chicken turtles (Deirochelys reticularia) are generally characterized as having atypical reproductive characteristics relative to other sympatric emydids. However, the comparatively understudied western chicken turtle (D. r. miaria) has been shown to exhibit some reproductive characteristics that differ from the other subspecies. Therefore, we examined clutch and egg sizes from six D. r. miaria (13 clutches) in Oklahoma and compared the results to values that have been reported for the other two subspecies. Females nested up to three times per year, with clutches ranging from 8-13 eggs per clutch (mean = 10.9). The eggs were 19.4-25.3 mm wide (mean = 22.2 mm). These values are greater than the means reported for the other subspecies, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Keywords: Chelonia, Emydidae, subspecies, reproduction, geographic variation

SREL Reprint #3488

McKnight, D. T., E. C. Hollender, H. J. Howell, J. L. Carr, K. A. Buhlmann, and D. B. Ligon. 2018. Egg and clutch sizes of western chicken turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria). Acta Herpetologica 13(2): 191-194.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).