Page 330 - Hawaii: Diving, Surfing, Pearl Harbor, Volcanoes and More

he nesting activity begins when the female ing the first few days after leaving the nest, the this is repeated with each breeding season.
Temerges from the sea to the beach of her hatchlings make use of their reserved yolk. In most species, the energy demands of long
choice, most often at night. She digs her body migrations and egg laying dictates that most
and egg pits and lay more than a hundred nce they enter the water, the hatchlings females do not nest annually but, on the aver-
eggs. After each nesting, the female goes back Oswim offshore and enter the major ocean age, every 2-5 years. The males, on the other
to her internesting habitat to complete the currents. Studies by Carr (1986) suggest that hand, breed more frequently (1-2 years) than
next clutch of eggs. She can be expected to lay small turtles are often found at the boundaries the females (Limpus, 1994 asean).
several clutches of eggs at two weeks intervals between water masses where they and their
before migrating back to her feeding ground. food passively accumulate. They spend an igration of adult turtles from their
During the entire breeding migration, court- unknown period of time, several months or M feeding grounds is associated
ship and residency within the internesting probably several years, floating in the currents with a testosterone peak after a suitable
habitat, the adult turtles eat almost no food, (Ross, 1989). Except for the leatherback which gametogenesis on the feeding ground
Mating
being dependent on the stored fat reserves remains entirely pelagic, the young turtles has occurred. It is either during migration
(Limpus, 1994). change its life style at a carapace length of 30 or near the breeding sites does a female
cm or more, taking residence in shallow waters become receptive to the advances of
arental care in not exercised. The eggs and feed principally on benthic organisms. one or more males. Under captive condi-
Pincubate underneath the sand for about 2 Each individual remains associated with a tions, the females undergo a specific heat
months where they develop into hatchlings. restricted feeding area for many years and may period which lasts from 2 to 4 days. Prior
The temperature of incubation determines the shift to a different feeding area as it matures to and after this heat period, she is not
sex of the hatchling and the rate of develop- (Limpus, 1994). receptive. The duration of mating cannot
ment. Higher temperatures shortens incuba- be accurately determined because it is
tion period and more hatchlings are females. hen sexual maturity is reached, breed- sometimes difficult to see if intromission
Under cooler conditions, the eggs hatch longer Wing migration takes place and breeding has occurred or if ejaculation has resulted.
and there are more males. After hatching, the occurs in the region of its birth. At the end of Mating can be as short as 2-3 min or as
young turtles dig their way up the nest column the season, the turtles return to the same feed- long as 19 hr of continuous mounting.
and rapidly make their way to the ocean. Dur- ing area from which it began its migration and