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Plastron Pigmentation Variation In A Coastal Turtle Species Of Conservation Concern (Malaclemys Terrapin), Beth Reinke, Steven Pearson, Will Selman
Plastron Pigmentation Variation In A Coastal Turtle Species Of Conservation Concern (Malaclemys Terrapin), Beth Reinke, Steven Pearson, Will Selman
Beth Reinke
Malaclemys terrapin inhabits salt marshes of the coastal United States and has been historically divided into seven subspecies. Two of the described subspecies, M. t. pileata and M. t. littoralis, occur along the western and eastern coastlines of Louisiana, respectively. To better understand potential boundaries of these two subspecies, we documented pigmentation variation of the plastron along the coast of Louisiana where the subspecies supposedly intergrade. Photographs of the plastron were taken of captured individuals and we quantified pigment with a photoprocessing software (ImageJ). We found pigmentation differences between sexes, with females having lighter plastrons than males. The plastron pigmentation …