The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.
ISSN 0268-0130
2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.
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pp. 66-70
Authors: Carl H. Ernst and Jeffrey E. Lovich
Abstract: A study of growth of the shell and its scutes was conducted on 1 2 1 Platemys platycephala (Testudines: Chelidae). Straight-line carapace length, width and height increase at approximately the same rate as the straight-line plastron length, and are highly correlated to plastron length. Similar trends were noted for increases in bridge length and the width of both the anterior and posterior plastral lobes in relation to plastron length . Unequal growth rates occur in the vertebral scutes which may be correlated with development of carapacial curvitude. The femoral scute grows faster than the other six plastral scutes. Development of the middorsal groove, plastral concavity in males. and loss of the juvenile scute rugosities are also discussed.