Does anyone know if freshwater turtle eggs can survive submersion under water?
Specifically, I am working with yellow spotted river turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) in the Brazilian Amazon. Nests were flooded /submersed due to unseasonable river level rise.
Is there any data on if submersed eggs remain viable? The eggshell of this species is rigid/hard. So, for example, how long do hard-shelled eggs remain viable under different depths ( 50 cm, 1 meter) of water for different times (days/weeks)?
Dear Darren,
The survival of eggs depends on temperature when flooding occurs for larger duration of time. According to a research, the survival from 21 or more days flooding was largely dependent on temperature, whereby at 15C there was relatively little influence on egg mortality at longer durations, by at 25C mortality increased noticeably, especially for eggs inundated late in development.
Therefore, we could say that eggs have some physiological capacity to withstand flooding most probably in lower temperatures.
Moreover, the flooding at higher temperature such as in summer would cause very high egg mortality.
I hope you found this useful and interesting.
Kind Regards,
Syed Talha Tirmizi
Many thanks Syed Talha Tirmizi and Arne Korthals . Syed Talha Tirmizi - any citation for the study you cite?
Another factor is the difference between chelonian species with "hard" and "soft" eggshells and immersion effects . For example, the eggs of Podocnemis unifilis are rigid/hard-shelled and, is it therefore fair to assume more resistant to immersion/submersion than the pliable/soft eggshell of the larger Podocnemis expansa?
Packard, GC. 1999. Water Relations of Chelonian Eggs and Embryos: Is Wetter Better? American Zoologist . Article Water Relations of Chelonian Eggs and Embryos: Is Wetter Better?
Dear Darren,
You are most welcome. Please find the complete manuscript at the link provided below:
Article Surviving a flood: Effects of inundation period, temperature...
Kind Regards,
Syed Talha Tirmizi.
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