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SEA TURTLES,
MEXICO |
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Mexican
center for the protection of turtles
In Mazunte we visited the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga. This
center is dedicated to the study and protection of sea turtles.
It’s in this center that biologists, oceanologists, and other
specialists study the sea turtles’ behaviour. Learn about the
reproduction of sea turtles. |
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Nesting
It’s a ritual older than the History of man on the planet.
Thousands of female sea turtles arduously crawl from the sea to
the beach to bury their eggs. Sometimes, they even travel
thousands of kilometres to reach the nesting spot. In a
synchronized way, hundreds and thousands of turtles get in a
relatively reduced place. The females
arrive at the end of the evening and by night. They dig a hole
in the sand where they lay down their eggs. After that, they
meticulously cover them up before going in the sea. The process
is about an hour long.
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Reproduction strategy
Nesting on the beach is a reproduction strategy.
It implies both advantages and inconveniences. One of the
advantages is the incapacity for predators of eating every egg
of every nest in each nesting spot. This guarantees a certain
percentage of safe eggs. On the other hand, one of the most
important disadvantages is the vulnerability of all the eggs to
natural disasters like hurricanes and heave.
The nesting process also endangers the mothers.
Indeed, since they have little skills on the ground, they expose
themselves to human predators who like turtle flesh; this is the
case of the green turtle. Coastal urbanization also represents a
danger. Indeed, turtles are being disoriented by city lights
instead of following the moonlight to guide them in returning to
the sea. Also, turtle eggs are a meal well appreciated by
humans. Furthermore, newly born turtles are also exposed to many
predators, like seabirds for example, while they return to the
sea. |
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Determining the gender
Surprisingly, it’s the nests’ temperature that will determine
the turtles sex. So when the temperature is 25°C, the babies
will be males. When it’s higher than 25°C, it will be females.
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