>>
Industry>>
Environmental Sustainability>>
Florida's turtles are mostly b...Florida's turtles are mostly born females due to increasing temperatures
The Silicon Review
02 August, 2022
Author:
The Silicon Review Team
The sex of sea turtles and alligators depends on the temperature of developing eggs
Florida's sea turtles are facing a gender imbalance that is worsened by climate change. The recent heat waves have heated up the sand on some beaches to such an extent that almost every turtle born was female. "The frightening thing is the last four summers in Florida have been the hottest summers on record," said Bette Zirkelbach, manager of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, a city in the Florida Keys. Instead of determining sex during fertilization, the sex of sea turtles and alligators depends on the temperature of developing eggs, according to the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
If a turtle's eggs incubate below 81.86 Fahrenheit (27.7 Celsius), the turtle hatchlings will be male, whereas if they incubate above 88.8 F (31C), they will be female, according to NOAA'S National Ocean Service website. The two turtle hospitals are also battling tumors in turtles known as fibropapillomatosis, also known as FP. These tumors are contagious to other turtles and can cause death if not treated. With climate affecting the future of turtles and the disease being so widespread, Zirkelbach sees the need to save every turtle she can and open more rehab centers.
