Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The influence of body size on the diving behaviour and physiology of the bimodally respiring turtle, Elseya albagula

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Comparative Physiology B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In aquatic vertebrates that acquire oxygen aerially dive duration scales positively with body mass, i.e. larger animals can dive for longer periods, however in bimodally respiring animals the relationship between dive duration and body mass is unclear. In this study we investigated the relationships between body size, aquatic respiration, and dive duration in the bimodally respiring turtle, Elseya albagula. Under normoxic conditions, dive duration was found to be independent of body mass. The dive durations of smaller turtles were equivalent to that of larger individuals despite their relatively smaller oxygen stores and higher mass specific metabolic rates. Smaller turtles were able to increase their dive duration through the use of aquatic respiration. Smaller turtles had a relatively higher cloacal bursae surface area than larger turtles, which allowed them to extract a relatively larger amount of oxygen from the water. By removing the ability to respire aquatically (hypoxic conditions), the dive duration of the smaller turtles significantly decreased restoring the normal positive relationship between body size and dive duration that is seen in other air-breathing vertebrates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

β:

Oxygen coefficient of capacitance

ΔDO2 :

Change in dissolved O2

Mb:

Body mass

MR:

Metabolic rate

P50 :

PO2 when haemoglobin is 50% saturated with oxygen

PO2 :

Partial pressure of oxygen

SAm:

Mass-specific surface area

SAt:

Total surface area

t :

Length of trial

VH2O:

Volume of water

VO2 :

Oxygen consumption rate

References

  • Bagatto B, Henry RP (1999) Exercise and forced submergence in the pond slider (Trachemys scripta) and softshell turtle (Apalone ferox): influence on bimodal gas exchange, diving behaviour and blood acid–base status. J Exp Biol 202: 267–278

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bagatto B, Guyer C, Hauge B, Henry RP (1997) Bimodel respiration in two species of Central American turtles. Copeia 1997:834–839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belkin DA (1968) Aquatic respiration and underwater survival of two freshwater turtle species. Respir Physiol 4:1–14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benedict FG (1932) The physiology of large reptiles. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication 425

  • Bennett AF, Dawson WR (1976) Metabolism. In: Gans C, Dawson WR (Eds) Biology of the reptilia 5. Academic, New York, pp 127–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd IL (1997) The behavioural and physiological ecology of diving. Trends Ecol Evol 12:213–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burggren W, Hahn CEW, Foex P (1977) Properties of blood oxygen transport in the turtle Pseudemys scripta and the tortoise Testudp graeca: effects of temperature, CO2 and pH. Respir Physiol 31:39–50

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burggren W, Smits A, Evans B (1989) Arterial O2 homeostasis during diving in the turtle Chelodina longicollis. Physiol Zool 62:668–686

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler PJ, Jones DR (1982) The comparative physiology of diving in vertebrates. Lowenstein O (Ed) Advances in comparative physiology and biochemistry. Academic, New York, pp 179–364

    Google Scholar 

  • Cann J (1998) Australian freshwater turtles. Beaumont Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Dejours P (1994) Environmental-factors as determinants in bimodal breathing—an introductory overview. Am Zool 34:178–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordos M, Franklin CE (2002) Diving behaviour of two Australian bimodally respiring turtles, Rheodytes leukops and Emydura macquarii, in a natural setting. J Zool (Lond) 258:335–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordos MA, Franklin CE, Limpus CJ, Wilson G (2004) Blood-respiratory and acid-base changes during extended diving in the bimodally respiring freshwater turtle Rheodytes leukops. J Comp Physiol B Biochem Syst Environ Physiol 174:347–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graham JB (1994) An evolutionary perspective for bimodal respiration: a biological synthesis of fish air breathing. Am Zool 34:229–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutton KE, Boyer DR, Williams JC, Campbell PM (1960) Effects of temperature and body size upon heart rate and oxygen consumption in turtles. J Cell Comp Physiol 55:87–93

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Irvine LG, Hindell MA, Van Den Hoff J, Burton HR (2000) The influence of body size on dive duration of underyearling southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). J Zool (Lond) 251:463–471

    Google Scholar 

  • King P, Heatwole H (1994) Non-pulmonary respiratory surfaces of the chelid turtle Elseya latisternum. Herpetologica 50:262–265

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleiber M (1961) The fire of life. An introduction to animal energetics. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kooyman GL (1989) Diverse divers. Springer, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Kooyman GL, Ponganis PJ (1998) The physiological basis of diving to depth: birds and mammals. Annu Rev Physiol 60:19–32

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer DL (1988) The behavioral ecology of air breathing by aquatic animals. Can J Zool-Revue Can Zool 66:89–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Limpus CJ, Limpus DJ, Hamann M (2002) Freshwater turtle populations in the area to be flooded by the walla weir, Burnett river, Queensland: baseline study. Mem Queensl Mus 48:155–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Maginniss LA, Tapper SS, Miller LS (1983) Effects of chronic cold and submergence on blood oxygen transport in the turtle Chrysemys picta. Respir Physiol 53:15–29

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maina JN (2002) Structure, function and evolution of the gas exchangers: comparative perspectives. J Anat 201:281–304

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Priest TE, Franklin CE (2002) Effect of water temperature and oxygen levels on the diving behavior of two freshwater turtles: Rheodytes leukops and Emydura macquarii. J Herpetol 36:555–561

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt-Nielsen K (1970) Energy metabolism, body size, and problems of scaling. Fed Proc 29:1524–1532

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt-Nielsen K (1984) Scaling, why is animal size so inmporant?. Cambridge University Press, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreer JF, Kovacs KM (1997) Allometry of diving capacity in air-breathing vertebrates. Can J Zool 75:339–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone PA, Dobie JL, Henry RP (1992) Cutaneous surface-area and bimodal respiration in soft-shelled (Trionyx-spiniferus), stinkpot (Sternotherus-odoratus), and mud turtles (Kinosternon-subrubrum). Physiol Zool 65:311–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson S, Georges A, Limpus CJ (2006) A new species of freshwater turtle in the genus Elseya (Testudines: Chelidae) from central coastal Queensland, Australian. Chelonian Conserv Biol 4 (in press)

  • Withers PC (1977) Measurement of VO2, VCO2, and evaporative water-loss with a flow-through mask. J Appl Physiol 42:120–123

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service for help with turtle collection and husbandry advice. Turtle collection and experimentation was approved by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (SPP—WISP01477903) and supported by The University of Queensland Ethics Committee (AEC—ZOO/ENT/595/04/URG. This research was funded by a University of Queensland Research Grant to CEF.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Integrative Biology , The University of Queensland, Brisbane , QLD, 4072 , Australia

    Natalie J. Mathie & Craig E. Franklin

Authors
  1. Natalie J. Mathie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Craig E. Franklin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig E. Franklin.

Additional information

Communicated by I.D. Hume

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mathie, N.J., Franklin, C.E. The influence of body size on the diving behaviour and physiology of the bimodally respiring turtle, Elseya albagula . J Comp Physiol B 176, 739–747 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-006-0095-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-006-0095-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation