Thermal preference, thermal resistance, and metabolic rate of juvenile Chinese pond turtles Mauremys reevesii acclimated to different temperatures.The thermal acclimatory capacity of a particular species may determine its resilience to environmental change.  Here, juvenile Chinese three-keeled pond turtles (Mauremys reevesii) were acclimated to one of three different temperatures (17, 25 or 33°C) for four weeks to assess the effects of thermal acclimation on some physiological traits.  Thermal acclimation significantly affected thermal resistance, but not thermal preference, of juvenile M. reevesii.  The acclimation response ratio of the critical thermal minimum (CTMin) was lower than that of the critical thermal maximum (CTMax) for acclimation temperatures between 17 and 25°C, but slightly higher between 25 and 33°C.  The thermal resistance range (i.e., the difference between CTMax and CTMin) was widest in turtles acclimated to the intermediate temperature (25°C), and narrowest in those acclimated to low temperature (17°C).  Our results suggest that juvenile M. reevesii may have a greater resistance under mild thermal conditions resembling natural environments, and better physiological performance at relatively warm temperatures.
THERM