Data from: Detecting spring after a long winter: coma or slow vigilance in cold, hypoxic turtles?
Data files
Oct 08, 2014 version files 9.42 MB
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Data from 6 turtles exposed to light during anoxia and reoxygenation.zip
1.33 MB
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Data from 6 turtles exposed to light during temperature change.rar
1.67 MB
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Data from 6 turtles exposed to vibration during anoxia and reoxygenation.rar
151.61 KB
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Data from 6 turtles exposed to vibrtion during temperature change.rar
190.14 KB
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Movement data for hibernating turtles.rar
6.06 MB
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README_for_Movement data for hibernating turtles.docx
13 KB
Abstract
Many freshwater turtle species can spend the winter submerged in ice-covered lakes by lowering their metabolism, and it has been proposed that such severe metabolic depression render these turtles comatose. This raises the question how they can detect the arrival of spring and respond in a sensible way to sensory information during hibernation. Using evoked potentials from cold or hypoxic turtles exposed to vibration and light we show that hibernating turtles maintain neural responsiveness to light stimuli during prolonged hypoxia. Furthermore, turtles held under hibernation conditions for 14 days increase their activity when exposed to light or elevated temperatures, but not when exposed to vibration or increased oxygen. It is concluded that hibernating turtles are not comatose, but remain vigilant during overwintering in cold hypoxia, allowing them to respond to the coming of spring and to adjust their behavior to specific sensory inputs.