LIPID PROVISIONING OF TURTLE EGGS AND HATCHLINGS - TOTAL LIPID, PHOSPHOLIPID, TRIACYLGLYCEROL AND TRIACYLGLYCEROL FATTY-ACIDS

Lipid composition of eggs and hatchlings was studied in painted, snapp ing and Blanding's turtles from western Nebraska. The average total li pid proportions of the egg yolk, post-embryonic yolk and hatchling som a dry masses were high in painted turtles (29.80%, 42.16% and 14.18%, respectively) relative to snapping and Blanding's turtles (egg yolk <1 4%, postembryonic yolk <17%, hatchling soma <2%). The proportion of to tal egg yolk lipid used during development varied among species (paint ed turtles, x = 45.4%; snapping turtles, x = 68.9%; Blanding's turtles , x = 86.6%). Total lipid data are consistent with patterns reported-f or turtle species whose hatchlings overwinter in the nest (e.g., paint ed turtles) vs those whose hatchlings emerge in the fall (e.g., snappi ng and Blanding's turtles). In all species, the total lipid quantity o f egg and hatchling components was primarily triacylglycerol (>63%), a n energy storage form, Predominant triacylglycerol fatty acids in eggs and hatchlings were 16:0, 16:1 and 18:1, and concentration changes of some yolk fatty acids occurred during development. The average phosph olipid (a membrane form) quantity of the egg and hatchling components was relatively low in painted turtles (<2% of the total lipid). In sna pping and Blanding's turtles, the relatively large phospholipid propor tion of the post-embryonic yolks (similar to 7%) could potentially con tribute more to post-embryonic growth in these species than the phosph olipids of painted turtle post-embryonic yolks.