Comparison of the Reproductive Behaviours of the Alligator Snapping Turtle and the Greater Flamingo

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One of the most crucial instincts genetically ingrained in an organism from birth is the innate desire to reproduce, a desire which has allowed for the continued survival of millions of species worldwide. Successful reproductive strategies are critical in the perpetuation of a species, and specific environmental, structural and behavioural adaptations have occurred over time through sexual reproduction in order to allow for the continuance of a species in even the harshest and most unforgiving of environments. These adaptations manifest in a variety of ways, differing from class to class and species to species. Organisms belonging to the classes Reptilia and Aves have both developed a successful array of reproductive behaviours and strategies which have allowed for their thriving existence and present a variety of similarities and differences in their reproductive cycle. The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) and the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) are excellent examples of how reproductive systems, strategies and behaviours have adapted differently in avian and reptilian organisms. The Alligator Snapping Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world, and lives in freshwater areas in south-eastern regions of the United States. As the Alligator Snapping Turtle spends the majority of time in the water, with turtles able to stay submerged for 40 – 50 minutes at a time, generally only nesting female turtles will venture on land. These turtles prefer habitat with submerged cover and thermoregulate using different water depths to accommodate for changes in temperature. The habitat of the Greater Flamingo, on the other hand, is made up of large estuarine lagoons, saline lakes, mud flats, sandy islands and mangrove swamps. Making small, seasonal migratory or nomadic movements in response to climate changes and declining water

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