Righting time versus shell size and shape dimorphism in adult Hermann's tortoises: Field observations meet theoretical predictions

Animal Biology

Volumn 63, Issue 4, 2013, Pages 381-396

  Stojadinović, Dragana ^a   Milošević, Durad ^a   Crnobrnja Isailović, Jelka ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF NI   (Serbia)

Author keywords

Body mass condition; Righting time; Sexual shape dimorphism; Sexual size dimorphism; Shell geometry model; Testudo hermanni

Indexed keywords

ADULT; BODY MASS; BODY SHAPE; BODY SIZE; REPTILE; SEXUAL DIMORPHISM; SHELL;

EID: 84890404426     PISSN: 15707555     EISSN: 15707563     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002420     Document Type: Article

References (45)

1. Andrews, R.M. (1982) Patterns of growth in reptiles. In: C. Gans & F.H. Pough (Eds.) Biology of the Reptilia, Vol. 13, Physiology D, pp. 273-320.Academic Press, London, UK.
2. Antonovíc, G.M. (1982) Pedological Map of SFRJ (Niš 2). Geokarta, Belgrade.
3. Attum, O., Rabea, B., Duffy, K. & Din Baha El, S.M. (2011) Testing the reliability of ring counts for age determination in the Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni). Herpetol. J., 21, 209-211.
4. Ben Kaddour, K.B., El Mouden, E.H., Slimani, T., Bonnet, X. & Lagarde, F. (2008) Sexual dimorphism in the Greek tortoise: a test of the body shape hypothesis. Chelon. Conserv. Biol., 7, 21-27.
5. Bertolero, A., Carretero, M.A. & Llorente, G. (2005) An assessment of the reliability of growth rings counts for age determination in the Hermann's tortoise Testudo hermanni. Amphibia-Reptilia, 26, 17-23.
6. Bonnet, X., Lagarde, F., Henen, B.T., Corbin, J., Nagy, K.A., Naulleau, G., Balhoul, K., Chastel, O., Legrand, A. & Cambag, R. (2001) Sexual dimorphism in steppe tortoises (Testudo horsfieldii): influence of the environment and sexual selection on body shape and mobility. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 72, 357-372.
7. Bonnet, X., Delmas, V., El-Mouden, H., Slimani, T., Sterijovski, B. & Kuchling, G. (2010) Is sexual body shape consistent in aquatic and terrestrial chelonians? Zoology, 113, 213-220.
8. Burger, J., Carruth-Hinchey, C., Ondroff, J., McMahon, M., Gibbons, J.W. & Gochfeld, M. (1998) Effects of lead on behavior, growth and survival of hatchling slider turtles. J. Toxic. Environ. Health, 55, 495-502.
9. Carretero, M.A., Znari, M., Harris, D.J. & Mace, J.C. (2005) Morphological divergence among populations of Testudo graeca from west-central Morocco. Anim. Biol., 55, 259-279.
10. Castanet, J. & Cheylan, M. (1979) Les marques de croissance des os et des écailles comme indicateur de l' âge chez Testudo hermanni et Testudo graeca (Reptilia, Chelonia, Testudinidae). Can. J. Zool., 57, 1649-1665.
11. Ceballos, C.P. & Valenzuela, N. (2011) The role of sex-specific plasticity in shaping sexual dimorphism in a long-lived vertebrate, the snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina. Evol. Biol., 38, 163-181.
12. Cohen, J. (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
13. Corti, C. & Zuffi, M.A. (2003) Aspects of population ecology of Testudo hermanni hermanni from Asinara Island, NW Sardinia (Italy, Western Mediterranean Sea): preliminary data. Amphibia-Reptilia, 24, 441-447.
14. Delmas, V., Baudry, E., Girondot,M. & Prevot-Julliard, A.C. (2008) The righting response as a fitness index in freshwater turtles. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 91, 99-109.
15. Domokos, G. & Varkonyi, P.L. (2008) Geometry and self-righting of turtles. Proc. Roy. Soc. B, 275, 11-17.
16. Dordević, S., Durakić, M., Golubović, A., Ajtić, R., Tomović, L. & Bonnet, X. (2011) Sexual body size and body shape dimorphism of Testudo hermanni in central and eastern Serbia. Amphibia-Reptilia, 32, 445-458.
17. Dordević, S., Tomović, Lj., Golubović, A., Simović, A., Sterijovski, B., Durakić, M. & Bonnet, X. (2013) Geographic (in-)variability of gender-specific traits in Hermann's tortoise. Herpetol. J., 23, 67-74.
18. Elnitsky, M.A. & Clausen, D.L. (2006) The effects of temperature and inter-individual variation on the locomotor performance of juvenile turtles. J. Comp. Physiol. B, 176, 497-504.
19. Freedberg, S., Stumpf, A.L., Ewert, M.A. & Nelson, C.E. (2004) Developmental environment has long-lasting effects on behavioural performance in two turtles with environmental sex determination. Evol. Ecol. Res., 6, 739-747.
20. Futuyma, D. (2010) Evolution. 2nd ed. Sinnauer Associates, Sunderland, Massacchusetts.
21. Garson, G. (2009) Univariate GLM, ANOVA, and ANCOVA. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
22. Gasc, J.-P., Cabela, A., Crnobrnja-Isailovíc, J., Dolmen, D., Grossenbacher, K., Haffner, P., Lescure, J., Martens, H., Martínez-Rica, J.P., Maurin, H., Oliveira, M.E., Sofianidou, T.S., Veith, M. & Zuiderwijk, A. (Eds.) (1997) Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe - Collection Patrimoines Naturels 29. Paris (F): Societas Europaea Herpetologica, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle & Service du Petrimone Naturel, Paris.
23. Germano, D.J. (1988) Age and growth histories of desert tortoises using scute annuli. Copeia, 1988, 914-920.
24. Germano, D.J. (1998) Scutes and age determination of desert tortoises revisited. Copeia, 1998, 482-484.
25. Golubović, A., Bonnet, X., Dordević, S., Durakić, M. & Tomović, L. (2013) Variations in righting behaviour across Hermann's tortoise populations. J. Zool., 291, 69-75.
26. Hailey, A. (1990) Adult survival and recruitment and the explanation of an uneven sex ratio in a tortoise population. Can. J. Zool., 68, 547-555.
27. Highfield, A.C. (1989) Notes on dietary constituents for herbivorous terrestrial chelonian and their effects on growth and development. Assoc. Study Rept. Amph. (UK) J., 3, 7-20.
28. Jackson, O.F. (1980) Weight and measurement data on tortoises (Testudo graeca and Testudo hermanni) and their relationship to health. J. Small Anim. Pract., 21, 409-416.
29. Jacobson, E.R., Weinstein, M., Berry, K., Hardenbrook, B., Tomlinson, C. & Freitas, D. (1993) Problems with using weight versus carapace length relationships to assess tortoise health. Vet. Rec., 132, 222-223.
30. Kaliontzopoulou, A., Bandeira, V. & Carretero, M.A. (2012) Sexual dimorphism in locomotor performance and its relation to morphology in wall lizards (Podarcis bocagei). J. Zool., in press.
31. Loehr, V.J.T., Henen, B.T. & Hofmeyr, M.D. (2006) Shell characteristics and sexual dimorphism in the Namaqua-land speckled padloper, Homopus signatus signatus. Afr. J. Herpetol., 55, 1-11.
32. McCoy, J.K., Fox, S.F.&Baird, T.A. (1994) Geographic variation in sexual dimorphism in the collared lizard Crotaphytus collaris (Sauria: Crotaphytidae). Southwest. Nat., 39, 328-335.
33. Nordstokke, D.W. & Zumbo, B.D. (2010) A new nonparametric test for equal variances. Psicologica, 31, 401-430.
34. Randelović, N., Randelović, V. & Zlatković, B. (1996) Flora and vegetation of natural resources within area of Niš. In: M. Vlajkovíc (Ed.) The City in Ecology - Ecology in the City, pp. 110-120. City Directorate for Environment Protection, Niš. [In Serbian].
35. Sacchi, R., Pupin, F., Pellitteri, R.D. & Fasola, M. (2007) Bergmann's rule and the Italian Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni): latitudinal variations of size and shape. Amphibia-Reptilia, 28, 43-50.
36. Stancher, G., Clara, E., Regolin, L. & Vallortigara, G. (2006) Lateralized righting behavior in the tortoise (Testudo hermanni). Behav. Brain Res., 173, 315-319.
37. Stevenson, R.D. & Woods Jr., W.A. (2006) Condition indices for conservation: new uses for evolving tools. Integr. Comp. Biol., 46, 1169-1190.
38. Tanasijevíc, D. & Nikodijevíc, V. (1972) Pedological Map of SFRJ (Niš 3). Geokarta, Belgrade.
39. Turnšek, B.A.J. (2006) The village of Kunovica in the sustainable development context. Facta Univ. Ser: Arch. Civ. Eng., 4, 25-39.
40. van Dijk, P.P., Corti, C.,Mellado, V.P. & Cheylan,M. (2004) Testudo hermanni. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org.
41. Vetter, H. (2006) Hermann's Tortoise, Boettger's and Dalmatian Tortoises. Chelonian Library, Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main.
42. Wiesner, C.S. & Iben, C. (2003) Influence of environmental humidity and dietary protein on pyramidal growth of carapaces in African spurred tortoises (Geochelone sulcata). J. Anim. Phys. Anim. Nutr., 87, 66-74.
43. Willemsen, R.E.&Hailey, A. (2002) Body mass condition in greek tortoises: regional and interspecific variation. Herpetol. J., 12, 105-114.
44. Willemsen, R.E. & Hailey, A. (2003) Sexual dimorphism of body size and shell shape in European tortoises. J. Zool., 260, 353-365.
45. Zuffi, M.A.L. & Plaitano, A. (2007) Similarities and differences in adult tortoises: a morphological approach and its implication for reproduction and mobility between species. Acta Herpetol., 2, 79-86.