Anatomical Structure of Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758) As The Base of Behavior Determination

RAJENDRA REGAPUTRA, Zuliyati Rohmah, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. Eng.

2024 | Skripsi | BIOLOGI

Studi tentang perilaku hewan telah menjadi salah satu cabang terbesar dalam biologi hewan karena manfaat utamanya dalam memahami pola perilaku hewan dan juga pengelolaan populasi. Cabang biologi hewan ini biasanya dipelajari dan diajarkan sebagai sektor yang berdiri sendiri, meskipun banyak penelitian multidisiplin yang melibatkan biologi perilaku hewan. Namun, hanya sedikit atau bahkan belum ada penelitian yang melibatkan perilaku hewan dan anatomi hewan. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mempelajari struktur anatomi sebagai dasar penentuan tingkah laku pada hewan, dengan objek utama Chelydra serpentina atau ‘Snapping Turtle’. Dalam penelitian ini, kerangka dan makhluk hidup C. serpentina digunakan sebagai objek pengamatan anatomi hewan tersebut. Pola perilaku sehari-hari C. serpentina yang hidup juga dilacak dan dicatat untuk mengamati biologi kura-kura, dan pada akhirnya data yang diperoleh dari observasi kualitatif dikumpulkan dan diinterpretasikan untuk mempelajari korelasi antara kedua parameter tersebut.

The study of animal behavior has been one of the biggest branches in animal biology due to its ultimate benefit in understanding the animal’s behavioral pattern and population management. This branch of animal biology is usually studied and taught as a stand-alone sector, even though there are many multi-disciplinary researches that involves the behavioral biology of animal. However, there are little to no research that involves both animal behavior and animal anatomy. Therefore, this research is intended to study the anatomical structure as the base of behavior determination in animal, using Chelydra serpentina or common snapping turtle as the main object. In this research, both the skeleton and living C. serpentina is used as the object in observing the animal’s anatomy. The daily behavioral pattern of living Chelydra serpentina is also tracked and recorded to observe the biology of the turtle, and ultimately the data obtained from the qualitative observation is collected and interpreted to study the correlation between the two parameters.  The research demonstrates that the anatomical structure of C. serpentina is a key determinant of its behavior, shaping its interactions with the environment and its strategies for feeding and survival. The close correlation between anatomy and behavior underscores the importance of physical adaptations in the ecological and behavioral niche of the species.

Kata Kunci : Anatomy, Animal, Behavior, Chelydra serpentina, Turtle.