DOCSLIB.ORG

Reproductive Ecology and Hatchling Behavior of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Honduras Noemi Duran Royo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reproductive Ecology and Hatchling Behavior of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Honduras Noemi Duran Royo Loma Linda University TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects 6-2015 Reproductive Ecology and Hatchling Behavior of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Honduras Noemi Duran Royo Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons, Marine Biology Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Recommended Citation Royo, Noemi Duran, "Reproductive Ecology and Hatchling Behavior of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Honduras" (2015). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 340. http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/340 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects by an authorized administrator of TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY School of Medicine in conjunction with the Faculty of Graduate Studies ____________________ Reproductive Ecology and Hatchling Behavior of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Honduras by Noemi Duran Royo ____________________ A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Biology ____________________ June 2015 © 2015 Noemi Duran Royo All Rights Reserved Each person whose signature appears below certifies that this dissertation in his/her opinion is adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree Doctor of Philosophy. , Chairperson Stephen G. Dunbar, Associate Professor of Biology L. James Gibson, Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology William K. Hayes, Professor of Biology Kevin Nick, Associate Professor of Geology Samuel Soret, Associate Professor of Environmental Health, School of Public Health Timothy G. Standish, Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology iii To Fernanda, my little miracle found in Honduras iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would have not been possible without the help of many people in many ways. I am very grateful to my advisor, Dr Stephen Dunbar, who has been much more than an outstanding professor and sea turtle scholar. He offered not only expertise and guidance, but also generous understanding, encouragement and unconditional support. He trusted me when I didn’t even trust myself. I am hugely indebted to the Geoscience Research Institute, and to Dr Leonard Brand, who offered me the opportunity to work on a PhD at Loma Linda University. I would like to express my gratitude also to Dr Antonio Cremades, who first inspired me to become a biologist, and five years ago eagerly encouraged me to make the decision to come to Loma Linda. In my time here, I have had the privilege of learning from extraordinary professors who are also wonderful Christ-like people. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr William Hayes, Dr Stephen Dunbar, Dr Leonard Brand, Dr James Gibson, Dr Timothy Standish, Dr Kevin Nick, and Dr Sigve Tonstad for many important things, both academic and non-academic, that they have taught me. I also wish to thank my committee members, whose expert guidance from different perspectives made me grow as a scientist and as a person. I am grateful to the faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, especially to my lab mates in the Marine Research Group. To Noel, Lindsey, Melissa, Carlos, Dustin, Christian, Magelie and Tyler, thank you for all your help and advice, and for all the times you edited my assignments and papers. Thank you, Ricky Escobar and Carl Person for helping me in figuring out and performing my genetic v analyses. Thank you Elieze, for so many times when you efficiently and quickly solved my paperwork issues, always with kindness and a big smile on your face. My research had a large component of field work in a wild, complicated site in southern Honduras, and if I succeed down there it was because of the many generous people who were willing to come to my research site and help me, despite the unbearable heat, the mosquito attacks, the interminable hours in a tiny boat, and the all-night experiments… I am highly indebted to Lidia Salinas, to the courageous volunteers (Samaria, Larry, Dustin, Christian, Tyler, Robyn, and Manolo), and to the people from the local community at Punta Ratón, especially to my boat driver and friend, Alex; to Santiago, Yeri, Lando, Kelly, and Sara, and to all the kids who I met and enjoyed spending time with while there. Although my time here at Loma Linda has been a great blessing, being far from home for so long was tough some times, and it would have been much worse if I hadn’t have had so many amazing friends who made it easier. I thank Melissa Blackmer, my best friend and the most wonderful, kind, and loving person I’ve ever met. Thank you Ronnie, Elisa, David, Marie, Eric, Kandice, Ryan, Keyla, Chelsea, Clarissa, Jason, Ben, Carol, Ana, Cesar, Susi, Dani, and Dottie, for all the great shared moments, for your care and your prayers. Thank you Jamey for listening to me; chatting with you was always very encouraging. I want also to thank my friends from Spain (Toni, Mario, Jorge, Isa, Paco, Jose Manuel, and many others), who helped and supported me from a distance. Among all my friends, I would like to give special thanks to the Esperante family. There are not enough words to express what they have done for me during these years. Thank you Raul, Esther, Josue, Dani, and Sharon, for being my family away from home. vi To my actual family, I would like to express my highest gratitude for their constant encouragement, support, and attention. I am especially thankful to my dad, David Duran, who is my example and inspiration, and to my loving husband Manolo, who left everything to accompany me in this venture. Finally, I would like to thank God, who brought me here and surely will also lead me from now on. vii CONTENT Approval Page .................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................v List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiv List of Abbreviations .........................................................................................................xv Abstract ........................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Goal, Objectives and Hypotheses ....................................................................10 References ........................................................................................................12 2. Why Should we Care for the Most Abundant and Least Endangered Sea Turtle Species? Review Article on Olive Ridley Reproductive Ecology, Human Use and Nesting Beach Conservation Management .................................16 Introduction ......................................................................................................17 Reproductive Behavior and Nesting Ecology ..................................................22 Human Interaction with Olive Ridleys: History of Use and Abuse .................36 Beach Conservation Strategies and Management Techniques ........................42 Adult Exploitation ......................................................................................42 Controlled Egg Harvesting in Arribada Beaches ......................................44 Traditional Egg Harvesting and Protected Periods (Vedas) ......................45 Strict Protection .........................................................................................46 Hatcheries ..................................................................................................46 Headstarting ...............................................................................................47 Community Based Conservation ...............................................................48 Non-Consumptive Use (Ecotourism) .........................................................49 Conclusions ......................................................................................................52 References ........................................................................................................60 3. High Frequency of Multiple Paternity in a Solitary Population of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in Honduras .............................................................................76 viii Abstract ............................................................................................................77 Introduction ......................................................................................................78 Methods............................................................................................................83 Field Sampling ...........................................................................................83
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Beach Dynamics and Impact of Armouring on Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) Nesting at Gahirmatha Rookery of Odisha Coast, India
    Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences Vol. 45(2), February 2016, pp. 233-238 Beach dynamics and impact of armouring on olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting at Gahirmatha rookery of Odisha coast, India Satyaranjan Behera1, 2, Basudev Tripathy3*, K. Sivakumar2, B.C. Choudhury2 1Odisha Biodiversity Board, Regional Plant Resource Centre Campus, Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar-15 2Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, PO Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248 001, India. 3Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700 053 (India) *[E. mail:[email protected]] Received 28 March 2014; revised 18 September 2014 Gahirmatha arribada beach are most dynamic and eroding at a faster rate over the years from 2008-09 to 2010-11, especially during the turtles breeding seasons. Impact of armouring cement tetrapod on olive ridley sea turtle nesting beach at Gahirmatha rookery of Odisha coast has also been reported in this study. This study documented the area of nesting beach has reduced from 0.07 km2to 0.06 km2. Due to a constraint of nesting space, turtles were forced to nest in the gap of cement tetrapods adjacent to the arribada beach and get entangled there, resulting into either injury or death. A total of 209 and 24 turtles were reported to be injured and dead due to placement of cement tetrapods in their nesting beach during 2008-09 and 2010-11 respectively. Olive ridley turtles in Odisha are now exposed to many problems other than fishing related casualty and precautionary measures need to be taken by the wildlife and forest authorities to safeguard the Olive ridleys and their nesting habitat at Gahirmatha.
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolutionary Significance of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Reptiles
    Rollins Undergraduate Research Journal Volume 2 Article 5 Issue 1 RURJ Spring 2010 4-1-2007 The volutE ionary Significance of Temperature- Dependent Sex Determination in Reptiles Cavia Teller Rollins College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.rollins.edu/rurj Recommended Citation Teller, Cavia (2010) "The vE olutionary Significance of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Reptiles," Rollins Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 5. Available at: http://scholarship.rollins.edu/rurj/vol2/iss1/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Rollins Scholarship Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rollins Undergraduate Research Journal by an authorized administrator of Rollins Scholarship Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Teller: Sex Determination in Reptiles The evolutionary significance of temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles Cayla Teller Rollins College Department of Biology 1000 Holt Avenue Winter Park, FL 32789 May 23, 2007 Published by Rollins Scholarship Online, 2010 1 Rollins Undergraduate Research Journal, Vol. 2 [2010], Iss. 1, Art. 5 2 Table of Contents: Page I. Abstract 3 II. Introduction 4 III. Sex-Determining Mechanisms 5 IV. Patterns within Sex-Determination 7 V. Gonad Differentiation 10 VI. Aromatase Influence and Importance 11 VII. Estrogen and Steroid Effects 13 VIII. Sex-Ratio and Selection Effects 16 IX. Effect of Maternal Nest-Site Choice on Sex-Determination 19 X. TSD and Global Warming 21 XI. Conclusion of Evolutionary Significance 22 XII. Acknowledgements 23 XIII. Literature Cited 23 http://scholarship.rollins.edu/rurj/vol2/iss1/5 2 Teller: Sex Determination in Reptiles 3 I.
    [Show full text]
  • BIOLOGY of SEA TURTLES Volume II CRC Marine Biology SERIES Peter L
    The BIOLOGY of SEA TURTLES Volume II CRC Marine Biology SERIES Peter L. Lutz, Editor PUBLISHED TITLES Biology of Marine Birds E.A. Schreiber and Joanna Burger Biology of the Spotted Seatrout Stephen A. Bortone The BIOLOGY of SEA TURTLES Volume II Edited by Peter L. Lutz John A. Musick Jeanette Wyneken CRC PRESS Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C. 1123 Front Matter.fm Page iv Thursday, November 14, 2002 11:25 AM Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The biology of sea turtles / edited by Peter L. Lutz and John A. Musick. p. cm.--(CRC marine science series) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-8493-1123-3 1. Sea turtles. I. Lutz, Peter L. II. Musick, John A. III. Series: Marine science series. QL666.C536B56 1996 597.92—dc20 96-36432 CIP This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. All rights reserved. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the personal or internal use of specific clients, may be granted by CRC Press LLC, provided that $1.50 per page photocopied is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Book (PDF)
    HANDBOOK INDIAN TESTUDINES HANDBOOK INDIAN TESTUDINES B. K. TIKADER Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta R. C. SHARMA Desert Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, Jodhpur Edited by the Director ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, CALCUTTA © Government of India, 1985 Published: November, 1985 Price: Indian Rs. 150/00 Foreign : £ 20/00 $ 30/00 Printed at The Radiant Process Private Limited, Calcutta, India and Published by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta FOREWORD One of the objectives of Zoological Survey of India is to provide comprehensive systematic accounts on various groups of the Indian fauna. To achieve this objective, the Zoological Survey of India undertakes faunistic survey programmes and publishes the results in the form of research papers and reports and under the series "Fauna of India", "The Handbooks" and "Technical Monographs" The present contribution on the Turtles and Tortoises is the sixth in the series of "Handbooks" This is a very primitive group of animals which have a role in the conservation of Nature and are an important protein source. While studies on this group of animals began at the turn of this century, intensive studies were taken up only recently. The present "Handbook" gives a comprehensive taxonomic account of all the marine, freshwater and land turtles and tortoises of India, along with their phylogeny, distribution and keys for easy identification. It includes other information, wherever known, about their biology, ecology, conservation and captive breeding. A total of 32 species and subspecies distributed over sixteen genera and five families are dealt with here. I congratulate the authors for undertaking this work which I am sure will prove useful to students and researchers in the field of Herpetology both in India and abroad.
    [Show full text]
  • Nomadic Behaviour of the Highly Migratory Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys Olivacea in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
    Vol. 13: 33–40, 2010 ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH Published online December 3 doi: 10.3354/esr00314 Endang Species Res OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS Nomadic behaviour of the highly migratory olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean Pamela T. Plotkin* Cornell University, Office of Sponsored Programs, 373 Pine Tree Road, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA ABSTRACT: I studied the post-reproductive migrations of 30 male and female olive ridley sea turtles Lepidochelys olivacea in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) using satellite telemetry. Long-term data revealed that turtles were widely distributed in the pelagic zone from Mexico to Peru and lacked migratory corridors. Turtles migrated long distances, swam continuously, displayed no fidelity to spe- cific feeding habitats, and were nomadic. An El Niño occurred in the middle of the study, and turtle migration patterns changed in response. ETP olive ridleys likely evolved migratory flexibility to adapt to the frequent and unpredictable environmental change characteristic of their large dynamic marine ecosystem. This suggests that ETP olive ridleys may be less vulnerable to the impacts of cli- mate change than other sea turtle species. KEY WORDS: Lepidochelys olivacea · Eastern tropical Pacific · Satellite telemetry · Nomadic · Highly migratory · El Niño Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher INTRODUCTION tiles (Plotkin 2003), birds (Dean 1997) and mammals (McCullough 1985). Long-distance animal migrations are generally Sea turtles are long-distance migrants that inhabit resource-driven, with migrants travelling between or dynamic ocean environments and predictably should among established locations at regular or seasonal display migratory flexibility. Most species undertake intervals.
    [Show full text]
  • OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE (Lepidochelys Olivacea)
    OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE (Lepidochelys olivacea) General Characteristics The name of the olive ridley originates from the olive color of the adult’s carapace. Its head is triangular in shape, measuring up to 13 cm (5.1 in.) wide, with two pairs of prefrontal scales. Their carapace is circular and flat with a uniquely high and variable number (six to nine pairs) of costal scutes, and ranges from olive green to dark grey in color. The plastron is cream colored and has a small and distinct pore close to the rear margin of each of the four inframarginal scutes. Its body is deeper than the Kemp’s Ridley (L. kempii), which is found primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern coast of the USA. Size The olive ridley is one of the smallest sea turtles; the length of the carapaces is approximately 65 cm (2 ft.) and reaches up to 50 kg. (110 lbs.). Both the front and rear flippers have one, or sometimes two, claws. Habitat Olive ridleys are found throughout the tropical waters of the Pacific, Indian and southern Atlantic Oceans. In the eastern Pacific they range from Mexico to Colombia and are sometimes found off the southwestern coast of the United States. Non-nesting individuals are often found in Isla de Margarita (Venezuela) and Trinidad & Tobago; however, they rarely go deeper into the Caribbean. They typically forage offshore in surface waters, primarily in bays and estuaries. They may dive to depths of 150 meters (500 ft.) to feed on bottom- dwelling crustaceans. Diet Their large and powerful jaws are adapted to their diet of mostly fish, mussels and crustaceans, particularly shrimp.
    [Show full text]
  • Olive Ridley Turtle)
    UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Ecology Lepidochelys olivacea (Olive Ridley Turtle) Family: Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles) Order: Testudines (Turtles and Tortoises) Class: Reptilia (Reptiles) Fig. 1. Olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea. [http://www.nathab.com/central-america/mexico-sea-turtle-tour/, downloaded 9 March 2016] TRAITS. Lepidochelys olivacea or the olive ridley turtle is named due to the greenish coloration of its skin and carapace, and is one of the smallest sea turtles (Fig. 1). Mature turtles typically weigh around 30-50 kg and grow to be around 60-75cm in length (Eckert, 1999). The carapace or protective shell of Lepidochelys olivacea has a short but wide structure that has high vertebral projections in juvenile turtles, and is smooth with an elevated tectiform (roof-like) shape in adult turtles. The carapace is also known to have an inconstant amount of lateral scutes, ranging between six to ten pairs. In addition to this, eight pores are found on the scutes of the ventral surface of the shell (Marcovaldi, 1999). The head of Lepidochelys olivacea is relatively larger than most turtles, with an average width of 13cm, and has two pairs of prefrontal scales. Male olive ridleys can be distinguished from females by their long tails, relatively soft and concave plastron, as well as sturdy talons found on their anterior limbs (Wibbels et al., 1991). DISTRIBUTION. Olive ridleys are found only in warm waters such as the southern Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean (Fig. 2). There are a few records of Lepidochelys olivacea being found in areas of the western Atlantic Ocean such as off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname (Schulz, 1975).
    [Show full text]
  • Nesting Ecology of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea) Turtles on Arribada Nesting Beaches
    Nesting Ecology of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) Turtles on Arribada Nesting Beaches A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by Shaya Honarvar in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2007 ©Copyright 2007 Shaya Honarvar. All Rights Reserved i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my family, especially my mother Shila and my brothers Ashkan and Sina, for all their support and love that they have provided me. Thank you for pushing me to go to the USA for finishing up my MS, even though originally it was only for 9 months and not 7 years. Thanks to Dieter Schifferli for teaching me how to think like a scientist and Micah Brodsky, for believing in me and supporting me through my graduate years. I am also indebted to Marion and Curtis Brodsky. They have treated me as their daughter and have been my second family. Without them I would not have reached this point. Of course, I thank my best friends Siona, Gauri, Matt and Laura for putting up with me when I could not talk about anything else except turtles. They probably know as much about turtles as I do at this point. Also thanks to Wasila, Vlademir, Raul and Tsan for their love and support. Thanks to Jack for listening to all my density-dependent and oxygen stories including the G2 hypothesis…and forcing me to take a walk around the block when I could not think straight anymore. Thanks to Lorna super MAGNUS for helping me get through the last couple of weeks.
    [Show full text]
  • Congenital Malformations in Sea Turtles: Puzzling Interplay Between Genes and Environment
    animals Review Congenital Malformations in Sea Turtles: Puzzling Interplay between Genes and Environment Rodolfo Martín-del-Campo 1, María Fernanda Calderón-Campuzano 2, Isaías Rojas-Lleonart 3, Raquel Briseño-Dueñas 2,4 and Alejandra García-Gasca 5,* 1 Department of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; [email protected] 2 Marine Turtle Programme, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM-FONATUR, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, Mexico; [email protected] (M.F.C.-C.); [email protected] (R.B.-D.) 3 Universidad Central “Martha Abreu” de las Villas (IRL), CUM Remedios, Villa Clara 52700, Cuba; [email protected] 4 Banco de Información sobre Tortugas Marinas (BITMAR), Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-UNAM, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, Mexico 5 Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82112, Mexico * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +52-669-989-8700 Simple Summary: Congenital malformations can lead to embryonic mortality in many species, and sea turtles are no exception. Genetic and/or environmental alterations occur during early develop- ment in the embryo, and may produce aberrant phenotypes, many of which are incompatible with life. Causes of malformations are multifactorial; genetic factors may include mutations, chromosomal aberrations, and inbreeding effects, whereas non-genetic factors may include nutrition, hyperthermia, low moisture, radiation, and contamination. It is possible to monitor and control some of these Citation: Martín-del-Campo, R.; Calderón-Campuzano, M.F.; factors (such as temperature and humidity) in nesting beaches, and toxic compounds in feeding Rojas-Lleonart, I.; Briseño-Dueñas, R.; areas, which can be transferred to the embryo through their lipophilic properties.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetics and Molecular Biology, 43, 4, E20200213 (2020) Copyright © Sociedade Brasileira De Genética
    Genetics and Molecular Biology, 43, 4, e20200213 (2020) Copyright © Sociedade Brasileira de Genética. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2020-0213 Research Article Animal Genetics Heterochromatin and microsatellites detection in karyotypes of four sea turtle species: Interspecific chromosomal differences Caroline Regina Dias Machado1, Camila Domit2, Marcela Baer Pucci3, Camilla Borges Gazolla1, Larissa Glugoski4, Viviane Nogaroto5 and Marcelo Ricardo Vicari1,5 1Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Departamento de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. 2Universidade Federal do Paraná, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil. 3Universidade Nove de Julho, Departamento de Saúde II, Bauru, SP, Brazil. 4Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética Evolutiva e Biologia Molecular, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. 5Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Departamento de Biologia Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil. Abstract The wide variation in size and content of eukaryotic genomes is mainly attributed to the accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences, like microsatellites, which are tandemly repeated DNA sequences. Sea turtles share a diploid number (2n) of 56, however recent molecular cytogenetic data have shown that karyotype conservatism is not a rule in the group. In this study, the heterochromatin distribution and the chromosomal location of microsatellites (CA)n, (GA)n, (CAG)n, (GATA)n, (GAA)n, (CGC)n and (GACA)n in Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata and Lepidochelys olivacea were comparatively investigated. The obtained data showed that just the (CA)n, (GA)n, (CAG)n and (GATA)n microsatellites were located on sea turtle chromosomes, preferentially in heterochromatic regions of the microchromosomes (mc).
    [Show full text]
  • First Record of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys Olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) Nesting in the United Arab Emirates
    Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 353-356 (2021) (published online on 14 February 2021) First record of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) nesting in the United Arab Emirates Fadi Yaghmour1,* and Clara J. Rodríguez-Zárate2 Five of the seven extant species of sea turtles occur in In recent years, less frequent arribadas have been reported the waters of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including at large nesting sites like Gahirmatha, suggesting a Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata; IUCN Red List potential population decline (Behera and Kaiser, 2020). category Critically Endangered), Green (Chelonia mydas; In the Arabian region, olive ridleys are less common and Vulnerable), Loggerhead (Caretta caretta; Critically documented as nesting primarily in Oman and Pakistan. Endangered), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea; Nesting activity in Pakistan has fallen from 25–120 nests Vulnerable), and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea; per year in 1982–84 (Cornelius et al., 2007) to two nests Vulnerable) (Abreu-Grobois and Plotkin, 2008; Mortimer per year in 1996–97 (Asrar, 1999). A small yet stable and Donnelly, 2008; Wallace et al., 2013; Casale, 2015; nesting population exists on the southern tip of Masirah Mancini et al., 2019). The former three species are Island in Oman, where it is estimated that 150–400 relatively common in the UAE, with green sea turtles the females nest every year (Ross and Barwani, 1982; Rees most abundant and hawksbills the predominant nesting et al., 2012; AlSinaidi, 2014). An increasing body of species. On the other hand, leatherback and olive ridley evidence indicates that high levels of mortality may be sea turtles are considered rare visitors (Baldwin and a result of the impact from fisheries’ bycatch and “ghost Gardner, 2005; Yaghmour, 2019).
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Turtle Newsletter Issue Number 162 January 2021
    Marine Turtle Newsletter Issue Number 162 January 2021 Olive ridley arribada on Gahirmatha beach, Odisha, India, with the nearby Maipura river delta in the background. See pages 1-2. Photo: M. Muralidharan. Articles Olive Ridleys and River Mouths: Speculations About the Evolution of Nest Site Selection................................K Shanker Loggerhead Captured in the Rio de la Plata is Found 10 Years Later Nesting in Espírito Santo, Brazil........J Barreto et al. Dietary Components of Green Turtles in the Lakshadweep Islands, India..........................................................N Kale et al. First Report of a Haemosporid Parasite in a Sea Turtle......................................................................EH Williams, Jr. et al. Lepidochelys olivacea in Puerto Rico: Occurrence and Confirmed Nesting...............................MP González-García et al. Distinguishing Between Fertile and Infertile Sea Turtle Eggs.....................................................................AD Phillott et al. First Record of a Stranded Loggerhead Turtle in a Ghost Net off Penang, Malaysia........................R Abdul Rahman et al. Using Social Media and Photo-Identification for Sea Turtles of New Caledonia......................................T Read & C Jean Recent Publications Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 162, 2021 - Page 1 ISSN 0839-7708 Editors: Managing Editor: Kelly R. Stewart Matthew H. Godfrey Michael S. Coyne The Ocean Foundation NC Sea Turtle Project SEATURTLE.ORG c/o Marine Mammal and Turtle Division NC Wildlife Resources Commission 1 Southampton Place Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA-NMFS 1507 Ann St. Durham, NC 27705, USA 8901 La Jolla Shores Dr. Beaufort, NC 28516 USA E-mail: [email protected] La Jolla, California 92037 USA E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] On-line Assistant: ALan F. Rees University of Exeter in Cornwall, UK Editorial Board: Brendan J.
    [Show full text]