rdf-syntax-grammar
mods:
  schema location: http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
  title info:
    title: Behavior and communication of sea turtles
  name:
    name part: Comuzzie, Diana Crowell.
    role:
      role term: creator
  name:
    name part: Owens, David William
    role:
      role term: degree supervisor.
  name:
    name part: Dixon, James R.
    role:
      role term: degree committee member.
  name:
    name part: Slack, R. Douglas
    role:
      role term: degree committee member.
  name:
    name part: Wicksten, Mary K.
    role:
      role term: degree committee member.
  name:
    name part: Texas A & M University
    role:
      role term: degree granting institution.
  type of resource: text
  genre: bibliography
  genre: Academic theses
  origin info:
    place:
      place term: xx
    date issued: 1987
    issuance: monographic
  language:
    language term: eng
  physical description:
    form: print
    extent: xiii, 99 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cm
  abstract: Although there is a fairly large body of literature on sea turtles, there is a relative paucity of information on sea turtle behavior. There is no information on general sea turtle communication, although there are some indications in the literature of the potential for chemical communication. This research catalogs many behaviors found in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), with special emphasis on reproductive behavior and communication (see Appendix A). Turtles were observed at the Cayman Turtle Farm, in the British West Indies, during three mating seasons in 1984-1986. For validation and comparative purposes, wild turtles were also observed on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The turtle farm contains a naturalistic breeding pool holding about 250 adult sea turtles. Behaviors specific to reproduction include checks by males and females, nuzzles, bites by males, circling and biting, chases, attempted mounts and escorts. Non-courtship behaviors include gapes, bites by females, cloacal checks by males and females and following. Males may use checks, nuzzles or cloacal checks to determine female receptivity. Females may perform some of these same behaviors to other females, possibly to bring about synchronization of nesting and nest hatching. Females may also escort mounted pairs to increase the likelihood of male availability later in the mating season. Males may determine female receptivity by detecting chemical signals released from the female's cloaca, Rathke's glands or elsewhere. Experiments designed to test the chemical communication hypothesis were, however, inconclusive. In the experiments, males discriminated between active and inactive females when visual and chemical cues were present. When chemical stimuli alone were present, males distinguished conspecific chemicals from controls, but not food chemicals from controls. However, males did not apparently distinguish between chemical stimuli from active female conspecifics and chemical stimuli from inac…
  note: Typescript (photocopy).
  note: Vita.
  note: Ph. D. in Zoology Texas A & M University 1987
  note: Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-89).
  subject:
    topic: Sea turtles
    topic: Behavior
  subject:
    topic: Animal communication
  subject:
    topic: Major zoology
  classification: QL666.C5 C65 1987
  identifier: http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login
  related item:
    location:
      url: http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login
  record info:
    record content source: TXA
    record creation date: 880707
    record change date: 20200904152404.0
    record identifier: in00000019898
    language of cataloging:
      language term: eng