Abstract
Artificial incubation of eggs of green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, above ground in styrofoam boxes results in a 23% drop in the number of hatchlings with ovaries, compared with samples from clutches left on the beach in natural conditions. This masculinization is consistent with the well-known effects of temperature on sexual differentiation in chelonians and with measurements showing that the styrofoam boxes were 1–1·5°C cooler than the sand on the beach at the depth of turtle nests. These findings verify previous suspicions about the use of styrofoam boxes in management programmes for sea turtles, and have implications for the conservation and husbandry of reptiles in general.
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