Ck. Dodd, DISARTICULATION OF TURTLE SHELLS IN NORTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA - HOW LONG DOES A SHELL REMAIN IN THE WOODS, The American midland naturalist, 134(2), 1995, pp. 378-387
From 1985 through 1991, I examined and categorized the sequential shel
l disarticulation patterns of 80 turtle specimens, representing six sp
ecies and three families, in N-central Florida. Shells were allowed to
disarticulate on land under natural environmental conditions. Turtle
shells were observed from 5-54 mo. Based on examinations of photos, ni
ne stages of disarticulation were identified. Although it is relativel
y easy to classify turtle shells into disarticulation stages, the amou
nt of time between death and shell discovery cannot be determined prec
isely due to individual and species-specific variation in disarticulat
ion rates. Shells do not necessarily pass sequentially through well-de
fined disarticulation stages. In general, shells of the most commonly
observed species, Gopherus polyphemus, Pseudemys nelsoni and P. florid
ana, routinely remained intact from 12-30 mo, depending on species. Sh
ells usually disarticulated completely by 40 mo or longer.