Biomaterial Database

The viability of nearctic freshwater turtles submerged in anoxia and normoxia at 3 and 10 degrees C. 1985

G R Ultsch

Survival times of temperature-acclimated freshwater turtles submerged in normoxic and anoxic water were determined. Juvenile Chrysemys scripta from Alabama and adult Chrysemys picta bellii from Wisconsin exhibited the maximal survival times of the 10 species and subspecies investigated, both being able to survive at least a half-year of submergence at 3 degrees C in normoxic water. Minimal viability was exhibited by Sternotherus odoratus and Trionyx spiniferus submerged in anoxia at 10 degrees C (5.2 and 2.6 days, respectively). All species lived longer in normoxic water than in anoxic water, attesting to the importance of extrapulmonary gas exchange during submergence at low temperature. While freshwater turtles are often reputed to overwinter buried in mud, which is an anoxic microenvironment, this behaviour seems unlikely for southern Trionyx and Sternotherus, although it may be possible for northern Chrysemys.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010101	Oxygen Consumption	The rate at which oxygen is used by a tissue; microliters of oxygen STPD used per milligram of tissue per hour; the rate at which oxygen enters the blood from alveolar gas, equal in the steady state to the consumption of oxygen by tissue metabolism throughout the body. (Stedman, 25th ed, p346)	Consumption, Oxygen,Consumptions, Oxygen,Oxygen Consumptions
D005618	Fresh Water	Water containing no significant amounts of salts, such as water from RIVERS and LAKES.	Freshwater,Fresh Waters,Freshwaters,Water, Fresh,Waters, Fresh
D000064	Acclimatization	Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old.	Acclimation
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000860	Hypoxia	Sub-optimal OXYGEN levels in the ambient air of living organisms.	Anoxia,Oxygen Deficiency,Anoxemia,Deficiency, Oxygen,Hypoxemia,Deficiencies, Oxygen,Oxygen Deficiencies
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014426	Turtles	Any reptile including tortoises, fresh water, and marine species of the order Testudines with a body encased in a bony or cartilaginous shell consisting of a top (carapace) and a bottom (plastron) derived from the ribs.	Sea Turtles,Terrapins,Tortoises,Sea Turtle,Terrapin,Tortoise,Turtle,Turtle, Sea,Turtles, Sea