Sea Turtles Flashcards by Amanda Neujahr

What do Loggerheads eat?

molluscs, crabs

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Loggerhead sea turtles-weight

100-180kg

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Loggerheads-endangered or threatened?

some endangered

- our northern atlantic population threatened

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The loggerhead’s beak is suited for ____________

crushing

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Kemp’s Ridley distribution

Gulf of Mexico
Atlantic
Rancho Nuevo nesting concentration

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Most numerous sea turtle

Olive ridley

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Ridley Sea Turtle diet

Crabs, molluscs, fish

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Arribadas

large nesting aggregations

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Ridley Sea Turtles-weight

35-50kg

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are the largest hardshelled sea turtles?

Green sea turtles & loggerheads

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Distribution of Green Sea Turtles

Circumglobal

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Most herbivorous sea turtles?

Green Sea Turtles

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What populations of Green Sea Turtles are endangered?

Florida and Pacific Mexico populations

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

These sea turtles are “grazers”

Green Sea Turtles

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The most tropical sea turtles are ___________

Hawksbill Sea Turtles

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Hawksbill Sea Turtles-weight

60-80kg

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Hawksbill Sea Turtle distribution

Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans & Gulf of Mexico

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Which sea turtles are spongivores?

Hawksbill Sea Turtles

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Hawksbill Sea Turtle - endangered or threatened?

endangered

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Distribution of Flatback Sea Turtles

Australia

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Flatback Sea Turtles and __________ Sea Turtles are most closely related

Green

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Flatback Sea Turtle-weight

up to 90 kg

What do leatherback sea turtles eat?

jellyfish

Leatherback Sea Turtle distribution

Circumglobal; widest latitudinal range

Leatherback sea turtles-endangered or threatened?

endangered

Structures used to key out sea turtles

prefrontal, lateral, vertebral, and inframarginal scutes

Which turtles have inframarginal pores or Rathke's glands?

Ridleys

Why is it important to consider the shell is vascular, metabolically active tissue?

Need to consider it because of drug calculations and pain management

The plastron is derived from what structure?

scapula, interscapula, gastralia

T/F Scutes do not correspond to underlying bone

True

Leatherback jaws/tomium are adapted for _______

slicing

Describe anatomy/physiology of respiration in sea turtles

- No diaphragm - Respiration is NOT dependent on negative thoracic pressure - lung expansion is affected by the muscles surrounding the limbs - complete tracheal rings and a short trachea - lungs are dorsal and extend far caudal

Sex determination in sea turtles

warm temp-F cooler temp-M pivotal temperature around 29 C

Location of pelvic and pectoral girdles in sea turtles

within rib cage

Sea turtle heart

Three chambered; two atria, one ventricle

Dimorphic characteristics of adult sea turtles

- tail length - curved first digit of males for holding on to F - plastron softening of males in breeding season

Purpose of well-developed esophageal papilla

keep food down while allowing sea water out

Loggerhead distribution

Patchy - N & SW Indian Ocean - E Australia - Japan - SE US - Mediterranean - S Brazil

Species with papilla extending into oral cavity

leatherback

Sea turtle restraint principles

- don't grab flippers-can dislocate shoulder joint - carapace can be used for handle - tire restraint - back restraint plus tie down (but be careful flipping back over the same way so as to avoid torsion and recognize their weight will be on lungs) - anesthesia

Anesthetic agents for use in sea turtles

- Medetomidine/dexmedetomidine, ketamine - atipamezole for reversal - sevoflurane - propofol for induction/short procedures

Venipuncture sites for turtles

1. external jugular vein (dorsal cervical sinus) 2. interdigital v. 3. dorsal caudal (tail) vein in males 4. femoral vein/rete (Leatherbacks) 5. subcarapacial vein/sinus-freshwater turtles

Ca/P ratio in turtles?

- may be mildly inverted (but still close to 1:1) | - pronounced inversion may be due to malnourishment, cold stuns, and captive green turtles on squid and fish diets

BUN is normally high in most turtles, EXCEPT______?

green and leatherback turtles

Hematocrit in sea turtles?

increases w/ age

Maturational effects on clin path in juvenile green sea turtles

- light plasma pigmentation after settling and switching to herbivory - Incr. w/ size: Cr, TP, Alb, glob, triglycerides, and iron - Decr. w/ size: Cl, BUN, Ca, ALP

Sea turtles w/ widest latitudinal range

Leatherback

Most tropical sea turtle

Hawksbill

Fibropapillomatosis primarily affects what turtles?

Greens in Florida and Hawaii; new hotspot in South Texas

Possible vectors of fibropapillomatosis

leeches, cleaner wrasses

Dimorphic characteristics of adult turtles

longer tail; downward-curved first digit of foreflipper

Why do you need to make sure to do a direct fecal exam?

trematodes sink

Concern with bad carapace fractures

could affect lungs due to dorsal location of lungs