Study Sees Multiple Species Of Mississippi Basin Turtles Nesting Up To 3 Weeks Earlier Than In 1990s

[hatrack]

Turtles nesting along the Mississippi River and other areas are altering their nesting dates in response to rising temperatures, says a researcher from Iowa State University. Fred Janzen, a professor in ecology, evolution and organismal biology, has studied turtle nesting habits and also accumulated research going back decades in order to track the habits of the turtles to find out when they make nests and lay eggs.

"The results have been astonishing," says Janzen. "In some cases such as regional populations of red-eared sliders, they are now nesting three weeks earlier than they did in the early 1990s. That is the fastest response to climate change of any species that I know of."

The turtles that changed their nesting habits were not only young turtles that are nesting for the first time, said Janzen, but were also older turtles that were changing their habits. This trait, called plasticity, helps animals alter their behavior in the short term until inherited behavior takes over. "What we found was that in the late 1980s, painted turtles started nesting in early June, now it is on the order of 10 days or more earlier," said Janzen. "These behaviors are showing how the plasticity of the species is helping them survive, but we are wondering what the limit is to their ability to adapt."

Janzen's research took a broad look at the entire species and not just turtle populations that are on the fringe of where the animals can live. Janzen feels this aspect of the collaborative study gives the results added credibility.


EDIT

http://www.physorg.com/news145210142.html