Incubation and hatching success in artificially incubated eggs of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (L.)

Abstract

The mean incubation period for eggs of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (L.) under laboratory conditions was 63 days. During incubation, nest temperature was initially related to room temperature but during the second half of incubation considerably higher and independent of the environmental temperature. Activities of the hatching clutch revealed periodic bursts of group effort by the emerging hatchlings over a period of six days prior to the eventual emergence from the sand. The mean emergence success of 89.24 % is the highest reported for marine turtles.