• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2017

This study was conducted to determined the status and geographical distribution of the alien invasive Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) turtle on Jeju Island. We found thirty-two Red-eared slider habitats including twenty-five ponds, five agricultural reservoirs, a puddle and a stream. Among those, thirteen sites are newly determined habitats of the turtle. The remaining nineteen are previously reported. However, we could not find any turtles at nine sites, which were documented as turtle habitats in earlier reports. A total of one hundred thirty-three turtles were observed. Among them, we determined that thirty-nine were juvenile turtles, found in nineteen different habitats, indicating estimating that Red-eared sliders produced their progeny in the wild of this island. Because of geographical isolation by the ocean, no freshwater turtle had been found until $19^{th}$ Century. Therefore, the increased number of finding sites and Red-eared sliders indicate the possibility of human release of their pets or for other purposes, and natural propagation in the wild on Jeju Island. Our findings will be useful for management planning to deal with this invasive species, and implementation of a conservation program for native wildlife on Jeju Island.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.970-976
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• 2016

Determining age structure of the population of an endangered species is critical because it could provide basic information about population dynamics. In this study, we assessed the possibility if the growth lines on dorsal scutes of the national monument as well as endangered Reeves' turtle (Mauremys reevesii) can reliably estimate actual ages of the 100 turtles of which actual ages were known and have been housed in Seoul Zoo. We counted the number of growth lines on the first four dorsal scutes and the first left and right lateral scutes of each turtle and compared those with their known actual ages. Ages estimated by the growth lines were overestimated at between 1 and 5 actual ages, but underestimated at between 6 and 9 actual ages, indicating that age estimation using growth lines is only partially applicable at actual ages of less than 6 years old. In addition, using length and width of turtle's dorsal plates, we produced growth curves with equations to estimate actual ages of females combined with juveniles, but its application to estimate actual ages was not reliably possible because all subject turtles which used were at relatively young ages. In conclusion, when estimating actual ages of Reeves' turtles using the number of growth lines on the dorsal scutes, it is recommend to use minimum values at less than 6 lines, but use maximum values at more than 7 lines. As the first study which estimated actual ages of a turtle species using growth lines on the dorsal scutes in Korea, our results could be useful to estimate ages of the endangered Reeve's turtles in the field although its application might be limited.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 1959

가물치(Ophice phalus argus)의 안구망막에 존재하는 시각물질을 spectrophotometry 한 결과 다음과 같다. (1) 암순응된 가물치 안구망막에서 2 % digitonin 으로 시각물질을 추출하여 광조사전의 흡광 spectrum을 측정한 결과 흡광 maximum 은 350$\mu\textrm{m}$, 420$\mu\textrm{m}$, 550$\mu\textrm{m}$, 590$\mu\textrm{m}$에 있으며 있었으며 광조사후의 흡광 spectrum과의 difference spectrum 의 흡광 maximum 은 390$\mu\textrm{m}$, 427 $\pm$2$\mu\textrm{m}$, 550$\mu\textrm{m}$, 595$\mu\textrm{m}$에 있었다. (2) 가물치 망막중의 시각물질인 390$\mu\textrm{m}$, 427$\mu\textrm{m}$, 550$\mu\textrm{m}$, 595$\mu\textrm{m}$의 삼원색광에 대한 감광도는 다음과같다. a. 390$\mu\textrm{m}$은 blue light > red light = green light > white light . b.427$\mu\textrm{m}$ 은 red light >blue light > white light > green light c. 550 $\mu\textrm{m}$과 595$\mu\textrm{m}$ 은 blue light > red light > green light > white light (3) 390 $\mu\textrm{m}$ 과 427$\mu\textrm{m}$에서 흡광 spectrum의 maximum을 가지는 시각물질은 그 존재를 예시하던 새로운 색소이다. (4) 가물치의 시각물질은 증류수에도 용출되나 2 % digitonin 수용액으로 추출하였을때보다 명확하지 못하였다. (5) 가물치는 담수어임에도 불구하고 거북류와 같이 visual voilet 는 발견할 수 없었다.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.977-985
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• 2016

The captive breeding program of the Reeve's turtle (Mauremys reevesii), which is designated as an endangered category II species by the Korean Ministry of Environment, has developed, but the reproductive physiology of the species is still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated seasonal changes in the sex steroid levels, the number and size of follicles and eggs and male-female interactive behaviors of hibernated and non-hibernated turtles between November 2014 and October 2015. Plasma estradiol level in females increased from July and peaked in the period from August to October. Plasma testosterone level in males peaked between August and September and was the lowest in March, although there were some variations depending on the patterns of hibernation. Hibernated females had fully developed eggs between early May and middle July and laid eggs between early June and late July, but non-hibernated females had eggs between early April and early June and also between middle August and late November, and laid eggs in early June, mid-October, and early February. These results suggest that hibernation could be essential for normal follicular and egg developments. Male-female interactive behaviors including courtship intensified from late August and peaked in October and November. Our findings suggest that mating period of this species is directly related to increased steroid hormone levels, but follicular and egg developments in females are not. Our results could be very useful to the successful operation of captive rearing programs of the endangered Reeve' sturtles.