Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA
The Kemp’s ridley, <i>Lepidochelys kempii</i>, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea...
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doaj-c23392bd651a41cd803800768b18f7e32020-11-25T00:48:17ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182019-05-011157610.3390/d11050076d11050076Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USAKathryn Stephenson Craven0Jay York Seabright Hodgson1Donna Jill Shaver2Jennifer Shelby Walker3Martha Ramona Villalba-Guerra4David William Owens5Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University – Armstrong Campus, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA 31419, USADepartment of Biology, Georgia Southern University – Armstrong Campus, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA 31419, USADivision of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, P.O. Box 181300, Corpus Christi, TX 78480, USADivision of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, P.O. Box 181300, Corpus Christi, TX 78480, USADivision of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, P.O. Box 181300, Corpus Christi, TX 78480, USADepartment of Biology, College of Charleston, 66 George St., Charleston, SC 29424, USAThe Kemp’s ridley, <i>Lepidochelys kempii</i>, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found dead on GOM beaches on Mustang Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA, 1994−1999. Straight carapace length (SCL) ranged from 40.8 to 68.7 cm. Preserved gonads and associated tissues were examined and measured. Gonadal measurements were then compared with SCL. Adults and juveniles shared a larger range of carapace measurements than expected, supporting the idea that juveniles spend several years in a pubertal state. Our results suggest caution when using SCL, tail length, or curved front claws alone as indicators of sexual maturity. In fact, SCL can be used to discern adults from juveniles with more predictive power when coupled with testis length or oviduct length measurements, thus allowing endangered species managers to more clearly identify demographic shifts in the number of mature animals, which can precede population changes. This study shows that information gained from the examination of stranded sea turtles allows wildlife managers to make more informed decisions regarding conservation priorities.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/5/76Kemp’s ridleysea turtle size at maturationassessing maturationsea turtle puberty |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Kathryn Stephenson Craven Jay York Seabright Hodgson Donna Jill Shaver Jennifer Shelby Walker Martha Ramona Villalba-Guerra David William Owens |
| spellingShingle |
Kathryn Stephenson Craven Jay York Seabright Hodgson Donna Jill Shaver Jennifer Shelby Walker Martha Ramona Villalba-Guerra David William Owens Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA Diversity Kemp’s ridley sea turtle size at maturation assessing maturation sea turtle puberty |
| author_facet |
Kathryn Stephenson Craven Jay York Seabright Hodgson Donna Jill Shaver Jennifer Shelby Walker Martha Ramona Villalba-Guerra David William Owens |
| author_sort |
Kathryn Stephenson Craven |
| title |
Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA |
| title_short |
Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA |
| title_full |
Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA |
| title_fullStr |
Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Evaluation of Gonadal Tissue to Validate Size at Reproductive Maturity in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Found Stranded in Texas, USA |
| title_sort |
evaluation of gonadal tissue to validate size at reproductive maturity in kemp’s ridley sea turtles found stranded in texas, usa |
| publisher |
MDPI AG |
| series |
Diversity |
| issn |
1424-2818 |
| publishDate |
2019-05-01 |
| description |
The Kemp’s ridley, <i>Lepidochelys kempii</i>, is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. Anthropogenic mortality of Kemp’s ridleys has been well documented in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), USA. We evaluated the reproductive maturity of 75 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found dead on GOM beaches on Mustang Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA, 1994−1999. Straight carapace length (SCL) ranged from 40.8 to 68.7 cm. Preserved gonads and associated tissues were examined and measured. Gonadal measurements were then compared with SCL. Adults and juveniles shared a larger range of carapace measurements than expected, supporting the idea that juveniles spend several years in a pubertal state. Our results suggest caution when using SCL, tail length, or curved front claws alone as indicators of sexual maturity. In fact, SCL can be used to discern adults from juveniles with more predictive power when coupled with testis length or oviduct length measurements, thus allowing endangered species managers to more clearly identify demographic shifts in the number of mature animals, which can precede population changes. This study shows that information gained from the examination of stranded sea turtles allows wildlife managers to make more informed decisions regarding conservation priorities. |
| topic |
Kemp’s ridley sea turtle size at maturation assessing maturation sea turtle puberty |
| url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/5/76 |
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