Ebro compact j k t e thermocouple thermometer

A flexible measuring tape was used to determine snout-vent length (SVL) and total length (TL). Head length (HL), head width (HW), head depth (HD), forelimb length (FLL) and hindlimb length (HLL) measurements were made using digital calipers. Body weight was measured with a spring scale (Pesola^®). An EBRO^® Compact J/K/T/E Thermocouple Thermometer was used to obtain all temperature readings (model EW-91 219–40; Cole-Parmer, Vernon Hills, IL, USA). Core body temperatures were recorded from the cloaca using the probe T PVC epoxy tip 24GA, usually within five minutes of capture. Finally, sex was determined on the basis of external sexual dimorphism: males are larger and have two white bands on each side of the body, while females are smaller with orange coloration on the ventral–frontal area (Troya-Zuleta, 2012 ).

For each turtle captured morphometric measurements were taken using a flexible 100 cm measuring tape and Mini Vernier plastic Calipers (precision: 0.05 mm). These included head width (HW), curved carapace length (CCL), curved carapace width (CCW), tail to carapace length and tail to plastron length, as per standard methods. In addition, each turtle was weighed with a precision of ±0.5 kg. The sex of an immature sea turtle cannot be determined with confidence on the basis of an external examination but adults were sexed based on the external sexual dimorphism of mature hawksbill turtles (Avens and Stover, 2013 ). An EBRO^® Compact J/K/T/E thermocouple thermometer was used to obtain all temperature readings (model EW-91219-40; Cole-Parmer, Vernon Hills, IL, USA). Core body temperatures were recorded from the cloaca using the probe EBRO^® T PVC epoxy tip 24GA × 1 m in length, which was inserted approximately 10 cm into the cloaca.
Respiratory rates per minute were measured by visualization and the heart rate with a Doppler ultrasound probe (Parks Medical Electronics, Inc., Aloha, OR, USA) in the area of the carotid artery. Two heart rates were recorded, one as soon as possible after capture, and the second just prior to release.