The influence of incubation temperature on post-hatching fitness characteristics of turtles

Abstract

Turtle eggs collected immediately after oviposition were incubated in the laboratory at several different constant temperatures and fitness-related hatchling attributes measured at hatching, and in freshwater turtle species at 12 months after hatching. In green sea turtles, incubation temperature was found to influence sex, size, and amount of yolk material converted to hatchling tissue as well as swimming performance during the 24 h frenzy swimming period that occurs within 48 h of hatching. In freshwater turtles, incubation temperature influenced swimming performance, post-hatch survival, and post-hatch grow. These results clearly indicate that incubation temperature can have an important influence on hatchling fitness by influencing post-hatch mortality (sea turtles) and growth rates (freshwater turtles).