REARED in CAP'TIVITY By GIDORGE H. BALAZS and EHNEST HOSS

A "continued story" is doubly interesting when it

concerns a turtle whose earliest days Were recounted in a previous

issue of the Journal. Too large for home maintenance,

ol1e oUhe central characters is now being scientifically

stUdied, along with "Raiataea" , whose photo

appears above. From studies by animal nutritionists such as these

au~hOrs will come data to aid in captive care and to help us

understand the diet of marine turtiesin Ihe open sea ..

In Vol. 3. No.5, 1969, of the I.'f.T.S. Journal, Lance Cher ry deseribed his experi· ences wit h hatchling Paci f ic green sea turtles (Chelnnia1nydas) in an articleentitled"Thal Turtle, Gerald.~' Foul' one~month·old ani· mals,. hatched during April of 1968, we], brought from an islandnearTahiti t.oHawaii to be reared i n captivi,y. Two of thesetul'tI" s ubsequ€'n tl y died a t ,a, YOLlng age and uGerald/' as one of the remaining two was named, became ill in December of that year, For tunately, he survived and once again re· gained health. In addition (l) Gerald alld hi, brothel' "Rajataea/' a third green sea tlJrlk from another clutch of eggs had been I"no' poyted to Hawaii f rom the game nesting grounds" This hatchling waB teporl(~d to be one month younger t han the other two an~. mal •.. [n April of 1969, Ge rald celebrated h15 first birthday. At that tin" he weighed over 1.1 kg (2,5 Ibs.) a nd waS measuredat 25.5 ern (10 in. ) f :rom noSe to taiL Dunng thL~ period, t he three turtles w'ere kept in a.quar~a ~l1d, as t.hey incrp",,'1sed in size, eventual!Y!TI plastic wading pools. In Wile, the probl",,,1 home car" became too g reat. At the end ,I

I n t'CI'nati<ln:o.!

and the youngei' turtle to th(~ Natlmla!Mnrine

dockside facility at Kc:wulo . Their ne\lj,~ l"!o rn(> 1,\',3S a

Bea w~lter tank Ineasudng· 3 24 feet in dianwtet' with a

~30 galloll;..; per minut.e. frcr.ald ~J't t h is residence until the end a y(~ar later.

, rUeular int eres t in thes{~ three from l' l~Seal'ch on the growtb of ;;.;ea turtle hatchlings in

pre·sen tlyi nvolved. Under tl){~

funded AqUiH.'lJ.liU1'0 pl'!)j~}el trt ii. l nstltute of ,Marine: Biology, we

st udies whi ..... h we hope \\'i1J va4uable knowl~t1~r€ on Sea Lurth' 1~h e generally endang'ered 8ttltf': of

w{wld's turtle populations a I' Oll~i('o. ou r i~tel'est und desi re to help pl'eserve tht:lS(;

'dllmalf>. Therefore. ou r imm(;~d iatc objective 11i- 10 d etermi:nl~ the nn t.ri tive ,'eq ui I'l~Hlell is of Ow \'OIJlIg SHl tud.lf: and to formu latE pl'ac~ tical, inexpensi ve diets that may be l.Il:ied by q-H'IOUI'i cons('rvat.inn grou p8 who Hre a 1:­iNJlpUng to hlCl"e;;I S{~ the number of S('U

HII'UeS t hrough the operation of t urtle haLeh­[fit'S, After the egg:::. are hatched in thc:io€ hEtenr-rj('i{, the lwt.chliHgs are often f ed for ft redod of time. usu a lly on fis h 01' other 8ea

h~()d, beforE' be ing: l·eh~lIse(] . , \rh i.1e the yOlln~ tlll'tle- is belicv(ld to V(! clll'n ivo J"oll,'l, nObody t-I:ally k!lO\Vtl '\vhat t.hey eat durinK that "lo!';t fint YC-JI"," This makeR the stud.v of thl~jj' nutrition a lit tle mOl'e di ff icuH becHu8~; oJ th-t' a lJil l;'llce of any dUC'cl aE to \\I,hat they ea t

~E WEIGHT (kg)

r NEWLY HATCHED' 0.029 I I ,

14 mon1hs

18 tl1 Dnths

20 f!'1 0nfns

49 months (5·]·72) 20.2 55 mOTlths 21.1

Bt~i.~HUse Ull:\~'t! is little ilv~i.i lnbl l~ daHt!>l1 tJ \'O

~l' o\~:'l:h of ~H:n luJ'U .. -'s 1'1'Oln hatt.~hlin!t tl] nill.lH i n mthf:r th() wild 01' til carPtivity, \ Vt) detide,l to .compilt~ w-hnh~vl~r' ~n fm'ilultial} wu:-;. t~v~jl, ablt, on tlH~s(~ tlH'ee lmiitmlh;, "1'11(.,~(\ dAl u ~H'!~ pr(>senled ill T'abl o:.;; I, lJ ctud IH , Tur1.kjJ.j " ,A" t.llld "n" n1'01t~iHi~l'!lHlld Gernld r\~&IHJC ' tlv~b ill1d tur tlCl "C" i:-: the .\'Ollngtn' anii11ltL Metls,lH'(~menIS ilskd rO!' ;' newty hate'hut" f(H '

all thr-ce nnitna.!t; al'(' thl: mellil v::lIUHt~ hli'lt,!!

fr om 125 OIW·dH,v-n!d ![I'(',t'll 'lea tll r tlf!N li!'«,d jll ':)lH' OWl! ;,xjlfTinumts, l'hi..'s,(, v(lhi'Pf; IH;'i'l'("

d()se ly willi 0,0:->(1 u 'JlQl'h:d uy \V{l!'lWI',1 in othi.T j.)urt:s of t he wod d, l\hUI:1l1i'enwHt.S.

g:iv{']] (01' 5~1.~7:? Wel\ ' t i lk ... n by lh{, ~II-IUl()l','L El:teh animill was ind i\'idwl!ly IT1IlCiV IJ d fHHTi t he tnnl-: Wi l )1 H :4 tnrdy b)!llt"handlod Si)()O P net. TId", 'i\)H ~ JiO i.,'HbY ~\t~mi'llpli~hflHmt dut' I,(i the SlW(·d And nlaUi)Uvt.'I'~lbmty Uwl 1.11(1$(' animals di:lpln,\' ill W~lt{! l ', J\lI 11 Li,)('I' tnl'UI'IlIf(:.' ,

ment" Pl'!~"'wnh~d in t he Utbl,\'!. Wi' t' (~ I,nkt' ll U) NM81;" \v(irl{cl'!,_.

As call lit! ~t.' i: r n fro m F'1}rtll :()S ) and 2, tOII.':1i dcl'llblc val'il1t ion in gl'OwLJ1 !'alt:lfl exist:'! bd,wee'u Uw I hl 'o(' tr ~ )'Lh'M e\len thOli;Ch tJE'Y m'e all tl\~;-H'l y thv S111!K~ ~jJ.tu, GI'i'!l!d 'fj NnU:ill ;.,iz1.' is umloubledl.l' (hit, in Plu't tn hit<; f!lffitlli .. t it.'~: wtwn yl)mi~~' Hntl til tl1 '~ ffH.'t. that li t! did not I'e.sidl' in a tHnk \1.:iiJl /.('00..1 f l iJ ~ h ili~ Hc'l.iUI1 unlil a yeaI' after the orht:-r t \'.\!() fHl imnls Pr(ib<lb)~' the nlll~1. impni 'uHlt I'a.ct ol" il~ tilt' gTo'i-\-th of the,se HIIJmaL", j" Ih(~ food thl!)'

rOI.'€"i\' ("(l DU1" iJ lg' the time ' . .,;!IIWt' Ciil! I'l'Y

wn:d fOI' them a l. hornc, tll!:' y I'et:d v l~ d h \-\' hl{~

variety of item$ indud ing bt"ef flesh, gup"' pies. liver and hO l'!'l'tnCfll. At th(~ NI\IF;": 1'11·,

CARAPACE LENGTH (em)

5,0

22.3

26.7

30.3

53.1

53.4

43.5 J __ A_3_.9 __ •

1

20

16 / ·c

•

4

12 24 36 48 60 AGE (months)

fig. '{ . ~ Weight In ki lograms of .sea turtles rearer! ;n cap tivity. Aft Wrile.'> are nearly Jame age.

cHi t y they a re fed f in [l3h which may die in tlle course of experiments. Hesides deanin,g up dead fi"h, th"y also keep the alg,II gr owth on tauk sjdt~S to n, mini.mum by constant graz-

ing. In addition, they aJ~e regularly Je chopped sme lt which t hey !'avenou BI.v d.""ul

The question ~I S to whether Q l' nOot the.:i ani mals .received an optimum diet i.s ORt~ t

Table 2. SEA TURTLE "B"

AGE . WEIGHT Ikg)

CARAPACE CARAPAa tENGTH (em] WIDTH (eml

NEWLY HATCHED' 0.029 5.0 3.6

12 mo nths > 1.1 19.1 -

49 month' ! 5·1.72 1 10.7 41.8 35.<1

55 months 11.4 43 .3 37.3

"'Mean \'a lu~ of 125 nntHilly-old green St~a I,ur[ t~.;: u!;ed 1n iiolu dif"S al thf~ Hnw;'I:ii I n!';titule (J.! _.~brine BiD\.o.g:;",

I D

AGE

NtWlY HATCHED'

I

Table 3. SEA TUUTLE "C';

WEIGHT (kg)

0 .029

CARAPACE LENGTH (em)

CARAPACE WIDTH (em)

3.6

I ,

13 months

Ii month.

19 ",onth.

5.0

10.S

11.7

26.4

44 .7

45.4

I i I ,~ mon!h, {5· 1-72l

54 months

14.5

16. 1

39, t

39.1

I.Meuf.! values. of 125 tlnc.d~}'·old gr(:eu se:J lunlcs wwd in ~Iucli(>.; at du~ Ihwaii JII'S lhll l.t1 (If Mln ii\(\ BiiJ! IJ I!.,'i .

I • \ • '1~e probklns we are tl'ymg . 0 :mswer In our wi th addt!d vitulnins and luintmlls c.'lU in.

Cl'eu~p. sen t.u rtles' ATowth dudu)! cc.ntain (t.~rn t t) p . .3 3 ,

.}II.'1l research. Preliminary results ha\le indi ~ ; ~ rtl lud that fcedi ng a fOTrnlllated supplement ,

f;g 2' - . Carapace fengtfl in centimeters of sea l Ufl l e5 reilred in Ct1ptivitr . Crowth (are varies.

50

~ 30 , ~ Z '" .. w V ~ 20 « IX « V

10

°O~~~~l2~,~~~2~'~~' ~~3~6~~~4a~, ~~b60 AGE (months)

sneer de!;pera tion, t ,k~ided to iltem !IS I,h""ga th~'Y we~" ti.h, J p,~t il, a fmered aqmmun, wIth d"",hlo,,­",ate,', flMting log, num'o~llt light

"""too t:082o ~', aud fi""I(~ ,ttbieved , 1 bn .. ' bad my pr~s"l\t paIr "ow for

1" '0 yeats. My best reool'd, until lll>W, -:- 'x montils. ThiR pair had a fungus in­~,51 when J rec~h'l--d them , and aguiu I 1"UUII

, - , I t.l'{jil t.etl: them HS f ISh. There 18 -s, Cn!'l.ml~r\~HI, -$IM-fUngllL medicllt .. io.u on th~ ~lerke{ fO.r ii.~, thenUij ui' ingl'e~leJ-lt cOIlSJshn.g of ael:"l­",." I'D' The dosage is Qne drop per one g.ftl· jl:lJ \ i - . ,

!oo .r water, I followed t he l'ecomln~llded ~'~g-e plus,. for tWi) d~ys, remO\red Utet urtl.(lS 1(13 dry bt)x. for h~o hOll 1'8 JUi.d pu~ a drop of lJDdiluted ncrifLwttle on each lemon - and. (~w turtles thrived.

Sharon Ga,ut1i.ie'J' P,O. B",. J 8,

SaJfta P61 N(~w Merico 37S()J

" , , J lVoll l.llike to find a yery good nom" for IllY l'cd-cared ~lideJ' which J have raised .from a h"lthling. It is now approximately five to sb: inches long~'1

K~!I EdIVtlrd. 87.15 Blelwt Ave,

I>}" A "geles. Calif, 900.5

,----~--.-----tfJIlI.Ilj). g )

Reared in Captivity

s;agei; of t11eil' Jives by as much 8H 50 percent 0>,,. those eatin)<, chop!""d fish and squid aione;. HOWe llCI", we a re just begj nning to H:<i.m ine the ,actua.l req uirements f or maxj· 11}1,im sea turtle growth.

It j ~ in teresti ng to note tha t all three ani­~l.al~ have v'ery shor t tails. Becau ~e a male's rlil is much longer and thicker, we believe ~al all three tur t les are ("males, Since sil'll3 Jf l! (Jxual maturity should have started to "'ow oy thi" age maybe we s bould chanlle Gernld 's name. to Gera!djne.

Th.e!re tu rtles wili 'L'ontin ue to be. I"cared , h N~!FS an" ,'ecor,jg w ill be taken on a l'eg-

~lu basls. In the very near futm'e, they i i'dl IJe moved to a n~w tallk. A nearby r !!!J,OOQ-gallon tank, 19 times the size of t heir

l.", . . r..r.CIle.nt one. will he t h-ei r new home. -iN 1 k. ~.·lteb , 1973

y ' • .--i. .-.-~~~: .

IkHealth. ~~--'-'-... Hints

"Alinough " " M"" "sed ""'fly UWd'fJlt i,)M fmd rouudsom.e til bt;~ :must ltel.p.ful. it }Ul~J been o'Urexp('d enoo thnt th~ he~t tl'c~bm':l'd, we can ghm id pre-v~n t.inn) -nud UWt best P:i'{)-o vention is. {f(..'Od Ilut.ri 'lihu, OUl' neat:! (O\lc.r "OJ, ""ell contn;noo cight Or irion, egglt, nnd althou gh om' hatching "Vol'ag" wag boUet' t han, '.)O ~). ft."\\"il {.I f au\, hnt~hnngB !,'tll'\'h~m1 '(tU '

m",'c than. )'C>\l' or t\\'o ,mtil we devewpild " . ,uppl"lncnWI hlltchlulj! fot'lIlllln ,

I ~ Usini' on)r those. eC!l'ool'-l we fclt wouM make ,~()d subatit111o.;., fOl' tlHl ('fU'Ntl ,A'l'Jl~s.ea tlw.t at OlH~ time nOlU'i~}v3d I n, f~U\' bill$.. W{\ made n meal t hat <'Quid be f~fi dry j)\' ll'«)iRt. and began using-it ou tl, rc:guluf dnUl~ httsis. OUf la~t Uu'c-e tmwl" or "yor thh:~y ;mteh·, lin~ have s lJtvived w~ll Undl.!l' thi-a IH'ogl'a.m

J

although tho~ W{~ ,gav'~ ~l\\'lly IUd llnt, fSt'(ltdi well We lIa,o )u,d no soft s),,,Ued hIIbic. ill our yards sint.'-O 19G5.

UThfl' foitowi ll f( j'ffl'niuln is bl'.fllW:'i! into con,w-"",.I s i~e purtiel", io,' the Imtehlin!(f!, but We: st}t out contaiu'l!:rS. (If the whole clR'cal ffJt'Q1.IJ' inrgel: lullmnJs. Wt' mukc tt in iimall bntcitus, us our anin·uil~ di$Hkl3 it it it ~1e­velop;i l.l f'aucid. odor,

% OZ, Special1( 1 oz, P.I'<ldu('\; 19 ,I, OZ, Corn J. ... i.u lw,'!! "4 cii i' Qu ick O.t. :% CUrJ Wheat Germ %: oz. l-licC? Kt lBples 3 ell"." Shredded Wheat

"For the ha lchliTl g. , we also l.rovldo ~ mixtuJ:'('()f calcium su~h <18 is usal'! In enlf and puppy forMula. , and <RUehe soil brou,'lM in from the (';ountry from which our tod.omes came, Throuuhout the centu ri"., most lor· loi.os hatchlings fmd adults alike. have ""tell wild c'erc-al g]'a!.i~~e.!;, and it rl1 fl,~' hlke a wtd,It:! for them torcali.e that this liLt:!. pile uf stu ff in a dish iB food. A little of it "Jll'inkled aTollnd a dean pat th of gl'ou}1d n~a t~ tJiO dJsh may help !Julm get started , .'~t" il l!l(l k (~~I\ large chunka of 60ft li mestone. In ~ur (Qrtl)~ae enclosures at iA n t ime.~c and thelr r..o,f1 8.tant nibbling Hoon rl!ducC3 lhc.8C to IlOmethUl,lC re~ sembling .a salt lick.

MoUll.J , Air,umd& So'/') i-nJones

'}'UCf/·an, Ariz',

33

;'r