Life history of chicken turtles (Deirochelys
reticularia) in fluctuating aquatic habitats
Kurt A. Buhlmann
Chicken turtles inhabit seasonal and fluctuating wetlands in the
southeastern United States and have several life history traits that differ relative to
other sympatric turtle species. These include an autumn-winter nesting season, the ability
to retain oviductal eggs for extended periods of time, and arrested development of eggs.
The ability to retain oviductal eggs may be a response to unsuitable nesting conditions.
Do retained eggs have the same hatching success as directly deposited eggs? I monitored 31
nests for hatching success and time of emergence. Of these, 14 were autumn-deposited, 11
were retained by the female over winter and spring-deposited, and 6 were spring-deposited
second clutches. Eggs from all nest types hatched during the following autumn. Some
hatchlings emerged from the nest at this time, but did not migrate to the wetland,
wintering on land instead. Other hatchlings emerged from nests 20 months after the eggs
were deposited. Clutch size, egg size, hatching success, hatchling size, and time of
emergence are being compared among the nest types. Possible explanations for the evolution
of this reproductive strategy are being investigated.