However, natural variations within the reproductively associated sex-steroid hormone, known to peak with maturation of ovarian follicles in turtles, are unknown for this species.
We benefited from a broad, longer-term radiotelemetry study of a wild, free-ranging population of Eastern Box Turtles to collect and determine the levels of reproductive markers linked to reproductive state.
Over a two-year period, we measured the plasma levels of Vtg, TT, and E2 to address the following question: