Page 264 - The Virgin Islands

he nesting activity begins when the female hatchlings make use of their reserved yolk. and egg laying dictates that most females do
not nest annually but, on the average, every 2-5
Temerges from the sea to the beach of her Once they enter the water, the hatchlings years. The males, on the other hand, breed more
swim offshore and enter the major ocean frequently (1-2 years) than the females (Limpus,
choice, most often at night. She digs her body
and egg pits and lay more than a hundred eggs.

After each nesting, the female goes back to currents. Studies by Carr (1986) suggest that 1994 asean).

her internesting habitat to complete the next small turtles are often found at the boundaries M igration of adult turtles from their
clutch of eggs. She can be expected to lay sever- between water masses where they and their feeding grounds is associated with
al clutches of eggs at two weeks intervals before food passively accumulate. They spend an un-

migrating back to her feeding ground. During known period of time, several months or prob- a testosterone peak after a suitable ga-

the entire breeding migration, courtship and ably several years, floating in the currents (Ross, metogenesis on the feeding ground has

residency within the internesting habitat, the 1989). Except for the leatherback which remains occurred. It is either during migration or

adult turtles eat almost no food, being depend- entirely pelagic, the young turtles change its life near the breeding sites does a female be-

ent on the stored fat reserves (Limpus, 1994). Matingstyle at a carapace length of 30 cm or more, tak- come receptive to the advances of one or
more males. Under captive conditions, the
Parental care in not exercised. The eggs in- ing residence in shallow waters and feed princi- females undergo a specific heat period
cubate underneath the sand for about 2 pally on benthic organisms. Each individual re- which lasts from 2 to 4 days. Prior to and
mains associated with a restricted feeding area

months where they develop into hatchlings. for many years and may shift to a different feed- after this heat period, she is not receptive.

The temperature of incubation determines the ing area as it matures (Limpus, 1994). The duration of mating cannot be accu-

sex of the hatchling and the rate of develop- When sexual maturity is reached, breeding rately determined because it is sometimes
ment. Higher temperatures shortens incuba- migration takes place and breeding oc- difficult to see if intromission has occurred
tion period and more hatchlings are females. or if ejaculation has resulted. Mating can

Under cooler conditions, the eggs hatch longer curs in the region of its birth. At the end of the be as short as 2-3 min or as long as 19 hr of

and there are more males. After hatching, the season, the turtles return to the same feeding continuous mounting.

young turtles dig their way up the nest column area from which it began its migration and this

and rapidly make their way to the ocean. Dur- is repeated with each breeding season. In most

ing the first few days after leaving the nest, the species, the energy demands of long migrations