The Influence of Environmental Cues and Nutritional Status on Frequency of Basking in Juvenal Suwannee Terrapins (Chrysemys concinna)

The frequency of basking of seven immature Chrysemys concinna was studied under both fasting and sated conditions. The turtles basked slightly more frequently after feeding, but the difference was not significant. Basking remained a major component of their behavior under fasting conditions. These turtles were then exposed to a series of environmental cues (varying intensity and spectrum of incident radiation) to determine the stimulus that elicited the major response. The response to infrared radiation was greater in magnitude than the response to light alone and approximated the response to light and heat combined. These turtles bask for some benefit, other than enhancement of digestion, derived from an elevated body temperature.