Correlation Analysis of Adult Female, Egg and Hatchling Sizes in the Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta Caretta (L.), Nesting at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA

Measurements of adult female, egg, and hatchling sizes were obtained for the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, nesting at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, U.S.A., during the summers of 1982 and 1983. A 12 variable data matrix was analyzed to assess the degree of correlation between the different life history stages of this species. Total egg volume shows a higher correlation with mother size than clutch or egg size, suggesting that total egg volume is a good measure of reproductive allocation. Evidence is given for egg size optimization due to a “trade-off” between clutch size and hatchling size. Methods of determining hatch success are compared and the relation between incubation time and hatch success discussed.