Lateralization represents a key property of many behavioural traits, with the right and left sides of the brain providing different and integrative functions. Common ecological contexts where lateralization can be observed are foraging and predatory ones, where both visual and auditory lateralization may provide advantages such as faster response and increasing neural processing capacity. This is crucial in selecting a safe refuge during a predatory attack and may strongly affect the outcome of predator–prey interactions. For animals like turtles, a critical condition may occur when they are overturned on their own shell, which causes difficulties in breathing and thermoregulation, making them more vulnerable to predators. Therefore, the ability to right is a critical adaptive component related to survival in aquatic turtles, which has been observed to be lateralized. However, an overlooked feature of behavioural lateralization is its possible relationship with asymmetry in external morphology. Here we investigated this topic in freshwater European pond turtles Emys orbicularis, looking at a possible relation between lateralization in righting behaviour response and asymmetry in the shape of turtles’ plastron and carapace. Righting performance (total time needed to completely turn) appeared to depend on shell shape. We found that none of the morphometric variables was related to a lateralization index calculated as the first side from which turtles tried to right. However, a strong negative correlation between the asymmetry index of plastron and the turning direction emerged, with more symmetric animals tending to turn to the right side.

中文翻译：

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欧洲池塘龟（Emys orbicularis）中的扶正行为：行为与形态侧化之间的关系。

横向化代表了许多行为特征的关键特性，大脑的左右两侧提供了不同的综合功能。可以观察到偏侧化的常见生态环境是觅食和掠食性环境，视觉和听觉偏侧化都可以提供诸如更快的响应速度和增加的神经处理能力等优势。这对于在掠食性袭击中选择安全的避难所至关重要，并且可能严重影响食肉动物与猎物互动的结果。对于像乌龟这样的动物来说，当它们在自己的壳上翻转时可能会发生严重状况，这会导致呼吸和体温调节困难，使它们更容易受到食肉动物的攻击。因此，正确的能力是与水龟生存相关的关键适应性要素，已经观察到它偏侧。但是，行为偏侧化的一个被忽略的特征是它与外部形态的不对称性之间的可能关系。在这里，我们在淡水欧洲池塘龟中调查了这个话题轮虫Eyys orbicularis着眼于扶正行为反应中的侧向化与乌龟plast腹甲和甲壳形状的不对称之间的可能关系。扶正性能（完全转向所需的总时间）似乎取决于壳体的形状。我们发现，形态计量学变量均与侧向化指数无关，该侧向化指数是乌龟试图纠正的第一面。但是，在plast的不对称指数和转向方向之间出现了很强的负相关性，更多对称的动物倾向于转向右侧。