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First records of dive durations for a hibernating sea turtle
journal contribution
posted on 2005-03-22, 00:00 authored by S Hochscheid, F Bentivegna, Graeme HaysGraeme HaysThe first published record, from the early 1970s, of hibernation in sea turtles is based on the reports of the indigenous Indians and fishermen from Mexico, who hunted dormant green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Gulf of California. However, there were no successful attempts to investigate the biology of this particular behaviour further. Hence, data such as the exact duration and energetic requirements of dormant winter submergences are lacking. We used new satellite relay data loggers to obtain the first records of up to 7 h long dives of a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) overwintering in Greek waters. These represent the longest dives ever reported for a diving marine vertebrate. There is strong evidence that the dives were aerobic, because the turtle surfaced only for short intervals and before the calculated oxygen stores were depleted. This evidence suggests that the common belief that sea turtles hibernate underwater, as some freshwater turtles do, is incorrect.
History
Journal
Biology lettersVolume
1Issue
1Pagination
82 - 86Publisher
Royal Society PublishingLocation
London, EnglandPublisher DOI
ISSN
1744-9561eISSN
1744-957XLanguage
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2005, Royal Society PublishingUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
hibernationreptiledive durationaerobic dive limittemperature effectScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBiologyEcologyEvolutionary BiologyLife Sciences & Biomedicine - Other TopicsEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyCARETTA-CARETTASATELLITE TELEMETRYSIMULATED HIBERNATIONASCENSION ISLANDDIVING BEHAVIORGREEN TURTLESPHYSIOLOGYHABITAT
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