KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE FEEDING-BEHAVIOR IN THE BOX-TURTLE TERRAPENE-CAROLINA (L), (REPTILIA, EMYDIDAE)

Kinematics of head, jaw, and tongue-hyoid movements in capture and tra nsport of mealworms by Terrapene carolina are described. Gape cycles a re divided into slow-opening, fast-opening, fast-closing and slow-clos ing stages. The division of the slow-opening stage into a depression o f the lower jaw (SO I) and a stationary stage (SO II) during food tran sport is clearly related to forward movement and a pause of the tongue within the buccal cavity. Each phase is associated with a head extens ion and retraction cycle. Prey capture always involves lateral rotatio n of the head. Kinematics of capture and transport in this terrestrial chelonian share some of the basic characteristics of tetrapod feeding (tongue-based intraoral transport, slow-opening stage before fast-ope ning). However, capture of mealworms does not involve lingual prehensi on, but only jaw movements. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.