The natural regulation of giant tortoise populations on Aldabra Atoll: recruitment

Abstract

The reproductive ecology of the giant tortoise ( Geochelone gigantea Schweigger) in three isolated populations was studied for 2 years on Aldabra Atoll. Density-dependent recruitment was demonstrated. Nest destruction in the low density area was dependent on the density of mature females providing a mechanism for regulating population size. Increases in annual rainfall and the resultant increase in food availability induced an increase in mean egg mass in the low density area (and thereby total hatchling production), whereas in the high density population mean clutch size, mean egg mass, total number of nests and total hatchling production all increased significantly. Large eggs produced large hatchlings which survived better during the first year than hatchlings from small eggs. Hatchling mortality was 94 and 81 % in the first year in the high and low density populations respectively. Recruitment into the 5 year age class (after which predation is considered negligible) had almost ceased in the high density population compared with 0.44 per 100 breeding females per year in the low density population.