Dr Ilan Ruhr I.M.Ruhr@salford.ac.uk
University Fellow
Turning turtle: scaling relationships and self-righting ability in Chelydra serpentina
Ruhr, Ilan M.; Rose, Kayleigh A.R.; Sellers, William I.; Crossley II, Dane A.; Codd, Jonathan R.
Authors
Kayleigh A.R. Rose
William I. Sellers
Dane A. Crossley II
Jonathan R. Codd
Abstract
Testudines are susceptible to inversion and self-righting using their necks, limbs or both, to generate enough mechanical force to flip over. We investigated how shell morphology, neck length and self-righting biomechanics scale with body mass during ontogeny in Chelydra serpentina, which uses neck-powered self-righting. We found that younger turtles flipped over twice as fast as older individuals. A simple geometric model predicted the relationships of shell shape and self-righting time with body mass. Conversely, neck force, power output and kinetic energy increase with body mass at rates greater than predicted. These findings were correlated with relatively longer necks in younger turtles than would be predicted by geometric similarity. Therefore, younger turtles self-right with lower biomechanical costs than predicted by simple scaling theory. Considering younger turtles are more prone to inverting and their shells offer less protection, faster and less costly self-righting would be advantageous in overcoming the detriments of inversion.
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Jan 28, 2021 |
Publication Date | Mar 10, 2021 |
Deposit Date | Jun 11, 2025 |
Publicly Available Date | Jun 12, 2025 |
Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
Print ISSN | 0962-8452 |
Electronic ISSN | 1471-2954 |
Publisher | The Royal Society |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 288 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0213 |
Files
Published Version
(1.2 Mb)
PDF
Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
You might also like
The big problem with microplastic pollution
(2020)
Journal Article