Pivotal temperature for green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, nesting in Suriname

Authors: Godfrey, Matthew H.; Mrosovsky, N.

Source: The Herpetological Journal, Volume 16, Number 1, January 2006 , pp. 55-61(7)

Publisher: British Herpetological Society

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The Herpetological Journal is an international scientific journal that publishes papers on the natural history of amphibians and reptiles. Experimental, observational and theoretical studies are published along with reviews and book reviews. Faunistic lists, letters and results of general surveys are not published unless they shed light on herpetological problems of wider significance.
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Abstract:

Sexual differentiation of green sea turtles is directed by incubation temperature. The constant incubation temperature that produces both sexes is known as the pivotal temperature, with warmer temperature producing more or all females and cooler temperatures producing more or all males. Here we present data on a laboratory experiment designed to evaluate the pivotal temperature of green turtles from Suriname. The best estimates for the pivotal temperature were 29.4 or 29.5 °C. These values are similar to a previous estimate of pivotal temperature from this green turtle population. When both datasets are combined, the pivotal temperature is estimated to be 29.2 or 29.3 °C. These values are within the range of limited information available from other green turtle populations. Nevertheless, more data from pivotal temperature experiments are needed for a greater understanding of how incubation temperature impacts local nesting populations.

Keywords: EGG; CHELONIA; INCUBATION; PIVOTAL TEMPERATURE; SEX RATIO; TSD

Document Type: Research article