44 John B. Iverson 



Seventeen oviducal eggs from central Florida K. baura measured by 

 Einem (1956) averaged 28.0 (Range = 25.0-31.8) by 16.6 mm (15.8- 

 17.2). Lardie (1975) recorded a single central Florida egg of 28X16, and 

 Nicol (1970) measured six south Florida eggs which averaged 23.75 (21- 

 27) by 14.0 (12.5-16). Egg length was not significantly correlated with 

 clutch size (Figure 1) or female PL (Figure 2). No seasonal trends in egg 

 size were identifiable. 



Fourteen clutches of oviducal eggs were incubated. Three clutches were 

 opened and preserved after 88, 109, and 114 days, respectively. The 

 remainder were incubated to hatching. At least some of the eggs of all 

 clutches exhibited mid-incubation cracking of the egg shell (Figure 3) as 

 described for Kinosternon bauru by Einem (1956) and for Sternotherus minor 

 by Iverson (1978a). Not all eggs in any one clutch developed these cracks. 

 Crack formation occurred after an average incubation period of 

 78.8±16.7 days (Range = 58-113; N = 9 eggs). 



Mean incubation time to hatching for 11 clutches was 11 8.8 ±11.3 days 

 (Range = 97-143). Eggs from any single clutch hatched within 24 hours 

 of each other, except for one clutch in which 9 days separated the 

 hatching of the 2 eggs. Five eggs incubated by Einem (1956) hatched after 

 96 to 129 days. Nicol (1970) hatched 4 eggs from the same clutch after 91, 

 93, 102, and 107 days, respectively. Three eggs from a clutch laid 9 June 

 1969 were hatched by Lardie (1975) after 117-119 days. Clutches hatched 

 in my laboratory in January (1), February (1), March (3), April (1), June 

 (1), August (2), and September (1). The hatching process was as 

 described by Einem (1956). 



Twenty-eight captive hatchlings averaged 19.2 PL (Range = 15.45- 

 22.0) and 22.5 CL (Range = 17.55-25.0). Plastron length of hatchlings 

 was significantly positively correlated (r = 0.813) with egg size (Figure 

 4). Hatchling-sized turtles were collected in the field on 5 January, 27 

 January (8), 28 January (5), 4 March (4), 9 March (2), 7 August, 15 Sep- 

 tember, and 7 December. Most of these had incompletely or very recently 

 closed umbilical openings. Average size of 13 of these neonates was 19.6 

 PL (Range = 16.55-22.0) and 22.4 CL (Range = 20.4-25.0). Hatchlings 

 from three eggs incubated by Lardie (1975) each measured 19 PL (22 

 CL); five hatched by Einem (1954) measured 18.1-20.3 PL (20.5-25.0 

 CL); and four hatched by Nicol (1970) averaged 17.5 CL (15.0-18.5). 



CLUTCH SIZE 



Clutch size in Kinosternon bauru ranged from one to five, two or three be- 

 ing the usual complement. Mean clutch size was insignificantly different 

 whether estimated by counts of enlarged follicles over 10 mm diameter 

 (2.69±0.85; N = 48), oviducal eggs (2.60±0.96; N = 50), or corpora 



