ObKelsey Brand
PSYC 3110
Animal Observation Paper 1
10/10/12
I. The Catalog: Behaviors and Definitions.
Trachemys scripta scripta (Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtle) Behaviors: | Definitions: | Swimming | Wading through water as a means of getting from point A to point B. | Sun-Bathing | Prolonged on top of flat surface under the heating lamp with all four claws and neck stretched out. | Stretching | Top two, back two, or all four limbs reaching outward from the shell. | Relaxing | Lying on top of flat surface above the water. Simply resting with no means of being aware of its surroundings. | Sleeping | A period of rest, above or under the water, where the animal is not consciously aware of the environment. | Hiding | Concealed under or behind an object larger than the animal. Such as the cave, filter, or palm tree decoration. | Climbing | Ascending upwards using all four claws of the rocky surface to get above water. | Running | Rapidly traveling on foot on a stable surface by means of getting from point A to point B. | Walking | Slow travel on foot on a stable surface by means of getting from point A to point B. | Alert | Closely watching and being extremely conscious of the environment and surroundings. Usually after seeing or hearing an unusual being. | Floating | Hovering with shell and head protruding from the water, while the bottom of the shell and claws are underwater. | Clawing | To touch the rock roughly and continue to move claws back and forth. | Creeping | Paranoid, walking incredibly slowly across surfaces under or above water. | Chewing | Grinding food (shrimp, krill, and sticks) with teeth inside of mouth. | Swallowing | Taking food into throat and sliding it downwards. | Defecating | To void feces from the bowels through the bottom. | Respiration | Breathing through lungs after the animal has been out of the water a substantial amount of time. | Sheltered | Staying cooped up inside shell. Including the four claws, neck, head, and curling the tail inward. |

II. Quantifying Behavior Observation
I will be describing T’s behavior. T is a female Trachemys scripta scripta, or more commonly known as a Yellow-Bellied Slider turtle. T is approximately 4 months old, 3 ½ inches long ways (including the shell and when the head is fully prolonged), 2 inches wide, weighs approximately 45 grams, and contains mostly a dark green color with swirls of yellow throughout the shell, limbs, and head. T lives in a 10-gallon aquarium, filled halfway with water, and contains small rocks covering the bottom surface. A large rock is placed in the middle of the tank that protrudes out of the water and creates a cave like formation under the water. Also, there is a toy palm tree at the left of the tank. A heating lamp sits on top of the aquarium, and is kept on for around 12 hours of the day. T lives with one other Trachemys scripta scripta who happens to be male, and approximately has the same measurements as T. I will refer to him as Z if there is any interaction.

Observation:
11:30 – 11:35: T is alternating from walking on the ground rocks, and swimming to the surface for air. T occasionally will crawl on top of Z.
11:35 – 11:40 am: T is swimming until she reaches the glass sides of the aquarium, then proceeds to float after she bumps into the glass. After floating she will repeat this process and swim until she finds another side of the tank.
11:40 – 11:45 am: T is creeping on the bottom rocks and will stop to look at her surroundings, then continue to creep.
11:45 – 11:50 am: T is now resting on the rock with her head above the water. She will occasionally stretch out her back legs, and go back to the resting position.
11:50-11:55 am: T is now fully asleep on top of the rock. She has not opened her eyes or had any movement in approximately 3 minutes. Her head is out of her shell resting on the rock, along with all 4 of her limbs, and tail.
11:55- 12:00 pm: T is still sleeping, but did awake once. She then quickly moved her head to look, and went right back to sleep.
12:45 – 12:50 pm: I have dropped an adequate amount of dried shrimp into the tank for T and Z. T creeps up to the surface, reaches her neck out, and grabs the shrimp. She then chews the shrimp for a few seconds, and swallows it.
12:50 – 12:55 pm: T is still eating the remaining shrimp. T and Z have pushed one another out of the way a few times. The shrimp are floating closely together and sometimes they will go for the same piece.
12:55 – 1:00 pm: None of the shrimp is left in the tank. T is resting and floating on top of the water, not being alert.
1:00 – 1:05 pm: T has been resting. She defecated for about a minute, and then continued to rest. She then went all the way into her shell and became sheltered on top of the rock above the water.
1:05 – 1:10 pm: T is still completely sheltered. It seems she is completely asleep on top of the rock.
1:10 – 1:15 pm: T is now awake and out of her shell. She is still above the water on the rock. She is now respiring. T’s throat seems to bubble in and out like a frog’s does out of water.

3:30 – 3:35 pm: T is sunbathing on top of the rock above the water. The heating lamp is on. Her limbs are stretched all the way out.
3:35 – 3:40 pm: A human walked by the tank and T ran off the rock, dove into the water, and hid under the rock. T will creep back and forth from under the rock. T will occasionally creep over to the palm tree and hide.
3:40 – 3:45 pm: T is now more relaxed and clawing her claws on the rock. She will claw for a few seconds, then float on the surface of the water.
3:45 – 3:50 pm: T has climbed back onto the top of the rock. She is now sunbathing with her limbs gently placed on the rock. She is aware of her surroundings and moving her head side to side watching her surroundings.
3:50 – 3:55 pm: T crawled off the rock back into the water. T swam over to the palm tree and is floating on top of one of the leaves. T has her eyes closed and is relaxing, occasionally opening her eyes, then closing them again.
3:55 – 3:00 pm: T swam away from the palm tree and swim directly behind Z. T and Z will alternate swimming behind one another.

9:00 – 9:05 pm: T has crawled onto the top of the rock. T is being alert and watching her surroundings.
9:05 – 9:10 pm: T has all four limbs placed on the rock, and head protruding upward towards the heat lamp. T is moving her eyeballs still watching around her.
9:10 – 9:15 pm: T is still on top of the rock, limbs placed on the rock, and head up towards the lamp. T’s eyes have been closed for approximately 3 minutes .
9:15 – 9:20 pm: T has had no differential movement. T’s eyes are still closed and she has not moved whatsoever.
9:20 – 9:25 pm: T was awaken right after Z crawled up onto the rock with her. She is still in her same position, but has her eyes open looking at Z.
9:25 – 9:30 pm: T has crawled on top of Z. T’s limbs are placed on top of Z’s shell. T’s head is stretching up towards the lamp. T and Z are relaxed.

Comments/Insights: It wasn’t too difficult to observe T, considering the tank is in my room and the turtles are always used to me being around. I did try to stay at a distance and not get too close so they wouldn’t pay attention to me. It was a struggle when T would go behind an object and I couldn’t see her anymore without getting up and walking close to the tank. Observing T definitely changed my insight on her everyday behaviors. I never watched her as closely as I had to for this assignment. I never realized how aware and alert she is. If someone walks by or if there is a loud noise, she will watch closely for around 5 minutes before she goes back to her normal activities. I never realized they had to be alert since they were in their own tank away from other predators and harm.