Temperature dependent sex determination and the problem of protection of the European pond turtle Mechanizm temperaturowej determinacji plci a problem ochrony zolwia blotnego
Mitrus, S.
Przeglad Przyrodniczy 133: 47-51
2002
Document Number: 507685
Individual sex of a pond turtle depends on the conditions the embryo was developing. The major sex determining factor in this species is egg incubation temperature. Active protection of the pond turtle in Poland does not provide for artificial incubation of eggs, although such efforts are made in protection schemes for various species of turtles. Sometimes the researchers involved in turtle protection are unaware of the species-specific sex determination mechanism and thus may bring about unplanned and disadvantageous effects for the protected populations. Some projects erroneously call for artificial incubation at pivotal temperature i.e. such at which the proportion of both sexes is 1: L The misconception here is due, among others, to the fact that the mechanism of temperature dependent sex determination has an adaptation value.