Naive Juvenile Diamondback Terrapins: Kin Recognition in Controlled Encounter Experiments

Authors

  • Brad Macdonald
  • Alexis Rife

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/eurj.v3i1.8984

Keywords:

Spring 2007, natural science, biology

Abstract

Northern diamondback terrapin (malaclemys terrapin) turtle hatchlings raised as part of a laboratory headstarting program are the focus of kin recognition studies taking place at Boston College. Experiments examining basking behaviors in 13 trials of familiar kin and 11 trials of unfamiliar non-kin. Familiar kin averaged more aggressive engagements per trial (2.44 vs. 0.36), more displacements per trial (13.36 vs. 3.91), and more instances of climbing on one another (13.36 vs. 2.36). Familiar kin basked in congregations more frequently per trial than unfamiliar non-kin. These data suggest that diamondback terrapins treat each other differently based on either kinship or familiarity-or both. Further research will be conducted on familiar and unfamiliar kin and non-kin groupings to help elucidate the existing data by determining which variable has greater consequence and if Hamilton's kin selection theory can be applied to terrapin juvenile social behavior.

Author Biographies

Brad Macdonald

Brad Macdonald graduated from Boston College in 2006 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. His research with terrapins sparked a personal fascination with animal behavior and its dynamic role in conservation ecology. In the future he hopes to continue investigating this topic in graduate school. He currently plans to join Central and South American sea turtle conservation efforts for the 2007 nesting season.

Alexis Rife

Alexis Rife is a senior studying Biology and Philosophy at Boston College. She has been interested in marine biology and conservation since a very young age thanks to multiple visits to California-very different from her home in Tucson, Arizona. She is looking forward to continuing her education in marine biology in the future, after a few years of travel and work abroad.

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Published

2007-04-15

How to Cite

Macdonald, B., & Rife, A. (2007). Naive Juvenile Diamondback Terrapins: Kin Recognition in Controlled Encounter Experiments. Elements, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.6017/eurj.v3i1.8984

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Articles