Plasma testosterone and seasonal reproductive changes in the scorpion mud turtle

The scorpion mud turtle (kinosternon scorpioides) is a freshwater chelonian that is consumed by local populations in states of pará and maranhão,brazil. current analysis evaluates the reproductive parameters of recently captured turtles. turtles underwent histological analysis of testes and hormone levels to establish and investigate the speciess natural cycle in different stages,with special focus on aestivation behavior as it relates to such as reproductive strategies. this information will help inform sustainable strategies of conservation and reproduction which would contribute towards studies on other animals with similar behaviors. twenty adult male animals were dissected and their testes removed for the morphometric analysis of epithelial thickness and tubular and luminal diameters. testosterone concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. results indicated that the hormonal testosterone profile was linked to the mating season and the highest spermatogenic activity occurred during the rainy season when testosterone concentrations were lower than those during the dry season. biological observations on the reproductive behavior revealed that seasonal variations in gonad size,morphological characteristics of the testes and hormone concentrations all indicate that the environmental conditions of the scorpion mud turtles natural habitat influenced reproductive seasonality. copyright 2014 zoological society of pakistan.