TASAS DE CRECIMIENTO EN TORTUGAS CASQUITO (GÉNERO KINOSTERNON) DE MÉXICO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22201/fc.25942158e.2026.1.1508Palabras clave:
von Bertalanffy, machos, edad, madurez sexual, Kinosternidae, hembrasResumen
El crecimiento en las tortugas casquito (género Kinosternon) es un tema que ha sido poco estudiado en las especies tropicales. La tasa de crecimiento tiene efectos directos en la talla y en la edad a la que alcanzan la madurez sexual, lo cual puede variar entre sexos y entre especies. El entendimiento sobre cómo la tasa de crecimiento varía bajo diferentes condiciones ambientales tiene implicaciones relevantes para la conservación, especialmente en los programas donde se cuidan a las crías para liberarlas con una talla determinada. En este estudio se usó la función de crecimiento de von Bertalanffy, la cual fue ajustada a cinco poblaciones de tres especies del género Kinosternon (K. integrum, K. hirtipes, and K. creaseri) de diferentes partes de México. Las localidades se caracterizaron por distintos regímenes térmicos y diferentes hábitats. Las tasas de crecimiento no mostraron diferencias entre sexos. Sólo una especie mostró una tasa más elevada que las demás, esta fue K. creaseri de la región de Kaxil Kiuic Yucatán. Las edades estimadas para llegar a la madurez sexual en las especies estudiadas variaron entre 3.3 y 8.45 años.
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