Sex ratio estimations of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings at Kuriat islands, Tunisia: can minor nesting sites contribute to compensate globally female-biased sex ratio?
Hatchling sex ratios in the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta were estimated by placing electronic temperature recorders in seven nests at Kuriat islands (Tunisia) during the 2013 nesting season. Based on the mean temperatures during the middle third of the incubation period, and on incubation duration, the sex ratio of hatchlings at Kuriat islands was highly male-biased. Presently, the majority of hatchling sex ratio studies are focused on major nesting areas, whereby the sex ratios are universally believed to be heavily female-biased. Here we present findings from a minor nesting site in the Mediterranean, where the hatchling sex ratio was found to be male-biased, suggesting a potential difference between major and minor nesting sites.
Sfax Faculty of Sciences, University of Sfax, P.O. Box 1171, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
Imed
0000-0002-2973-9568
I
Jribi
National Institute of Sea Sciences and Technologies, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
Mohamed Nejmeddine
MN
Bradai
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D015982:Bias; D005260:Female; D062312:Islands; D008297:Male; D010058:Oviposition / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons; D012744:Sex Ratio; D013696:Temperature; D014416:Tunisia; D014426:Turtles / Q000502:physiology*