Meeting Abstract
The Diamondback terrapin is considered a species of highest conservation concern in the state of Alabama in addition to other locations within its range. Nesting beach utilization in Alabama is not uniform, with one beach in particular, located at Cedar Point Marsh, hosting the highest abundance of nesting. The ability to assess nesting beach quality in an ecologically relevant way is important for the identification of optimal nesting habitats that are crucial to the recovery of the diamondback terrapin in Alabama. Hatchling phenotype (e.g. size, mass, locomotor performance) in reptiles are affected by both genetic and environmental factors which could ultimately impact the fitness of the individual. Due to the conservation status of the diamondback terrapin, we used a surrogate species (Trachemys scripta elegans), with similar life-history attributes to assess hatchling phenotypes produced on known diamondback terrapin nesting beaches. Thirty two artificial nests were distributed across 7 beaches that varied in substrate type and vegetative cover. Each nest contained 10 eggs and a datalogger recording hourly temperature. Eggs were recovered just before hatching and were subsequently measured and sexed; the gonads were photographed for digital analysis of gonadal morphometrics. These data provide the means of assessing nesting beach quality by comparing hatchling phenotypes associated with hatchling fitness within and among beaches. In addition to ecological and evolutionary implications, the information gleaned from this study provides insight for enhancing the recovery strategy for the diamondback terrapin in Alabama.
