Severe heat waves caused by the escalating climate crisis are warming sand dramatically on some beaches, increasing the number of female turtles. According to the National Oceanic Service, if turtle eggs hatch to a temperature below 27 degrees, the turtles will be male, but if the eggs hatch above 31 degrees, the chicks will be female.
They found that the higher the temperature of the sand, the higher the proportion of female turtles.
Extreme temperatures can lead to deadly hatching conditions, affecting turtle and other reptile species
– Announced the National Oceanic Service.
For four years, only female turtles are born
Pete Zerkelbach, director of the Florida Turtle Hospital, said:
The scary part is that the last four seasons in Florida have been the hottest ever. Scientists studying sea turtle hatching and eggs have not found male sea turtles, so only female sea turtles have hatched in the past four years.
Unequal male to female ratio a guardian It is a growing concern among scientists, who fear that sea turtle numbers will eventually dwindle.
Over the years, their population will decline sharply because they lack genetic diversity, and the male-to-female ratio, which is necessary to be able to maintain a successful breeding,” said Melissa Rosales Rodriguez, a turtle caretaker at Miami Zoo Hospital.
