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First Evidence of the Pig-nosed Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) Vocalizing Underwater
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
ISSN
0045-8511
Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated that some freshwater turtles vocalize underwater, but the taxonomic breadth of this mode of communication in freshwater turtles is unknown, hindering our understanding of its evolution. The Pig-nosed Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), a monotypic genus inhabiting tropical Australia and New Guinea, is a likely candidate for producing underwater sounds because it exhibits social behavior while feeding, nesting, and thermoregulating. We tested the hypothesis that C. insculpta vocalizes using an omnidirectional hydrophone. We recorded C. insculpta emitting sounds underwater in the field and in captivity in northern Australia in May 2014. Analysis revealed that the 182 sounds produced by seven individuals could be separated into three sound categories. The sounds were simple and characteristic of a contact call, and were similar to those recently reported in other species of aquatic turtles. Further research should focus on the role of sound production in social activities.
Language
en_US
Publisher
AMER SOC ICHTHYOLOGISTS & HERPETOLOGISTS
Recommended Citation
Ferrara, C. R., Vogt, R. C., Eisemberg, C. C., & Doody, J. S. (2017). First evidence of the pig-nosed turtle (carettochelys insculpta) vocalizing underwater. Copeia, 105(1), 29-32. doi:10.1643/CE-16-407
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Citation only. Full-text article is available through licensed access provided by the publisher. Members of the USF System may access the full-text of the article through the authenticated link provided.