salinity tolerance

[allman_p]

I am currently reading an unpublished description of MT compiled by Kathy Nemec with US fish & wildlife service. I wanted to share a paragraph concerning the salinity tolerance: “the appetite of terrapins held in seawater, without access to freshwater, gradually becomes depressed, reducing their normal intake of food by 46-78 percent (Davenport and Ward, 1993), and possibly reducing their incidental intake of sodium. “adult terrapins are capable of spending several weeks in seawater without access to freshwater, but they cannot survive indefinitely. Hatchlings are also severely affected by long exposure to seawater. In the laboratory, hatchlings were not capable of growth in concentrations of 100% seawater. Limited growth was achieved in 50 percent and 35 percent seawater with periodic access to freshwater, and in pure freshwater. However, a very distinct growth optimum was seen in hatchlings raised in 25 percent seawater concentration (Dunson, 1985)” “early trappers holding terrapins for sale found that providing freshwater ensured greater survival (Dunson, 1970), and reported seeing them drinking rainwater in the wild. Phil Allman Environmental Specialist Collier County Natural Resources Naples, Florida 34112

[Todd Stockwell]

These references are great and just what this list is all about – sharing info. I am wondering what the growth rate observed was in the “optimum” conditions of salinity? I have 10 cb ’00 DBT hatchlings right now purchased from five different sources. All are kept in fresh water with other species. They are all growing like crazy! I don’t think I would want them to grow any faster. They want to eat constantly, though. Do any studies indicate problems later in juvenile DBTs kept in fresh water even if their early growth rate seems strong? Todd allman_p wrote:

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