Post-hatching substrate moisture and overwintering hatchling turtles

The influence of substrate moisture on hatchling red-eared sliders (Trachem ys scripta elegans) during incubation and overwintering was examined. Eggs (24 clutches) were incubated on two different but relatively wet substrates (-150 and -200 kPa). Half the hatchlings from eggs incubated on wet (or dr y) substrates were moved to dry (or wet) substrates for overwintering, wher eas the other half were overwintered on substrates similar in kPa to the su bstrate kPa used during incubation. All hatchlings (N = 283) were released to experimentally examine the influence of incubation/overwintering substra te moisture on probability of recapture. After incubating 82-88 days, only maternal effects and initial egg size were significant After overwintering for 199 days, incubation substrate moisture, overwintering substrate moistu re, and their interactions were also significant effects. Hatchlings with d rier overwintering substrates weighed less after overwintering and lost mor e mass during overwintering than did hatchlings overwintered on wetter subs trates. Hatchlings from wetter incubation substrates were more likely to be recaptured and less likely to be found dead than those from drier incubati on substrates. Heavier hatchlings were also more likely to be recaptured an d less likely to be found dead than lighter ones. In contrast, overwinterin g substrate moisture was not a significant predictor of hatchling recapture .