Turtle Populations Are Becoming Drastically Female

It’s a girl! 

Well, it’s a baby turtle. Turtle hatching season runs from May to October, and the turtle population is welcoming lots and lots of new hatchlings. Don’t expect blue balloons and cupcakes anytime soon though. The gender reveal party for these turtles is less of a surprise: these hatchlings happen to be almost all female. 

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some reptiles are subject to temperature - dependent sex determination (NOAA). For turtles, incubation temperatures over 88.8 F result in female hatchlings, whereas temperatures below 81.86 F result in male hatchlings. Warmer beaches are a vacation favorite for tourists and locals alike, and these warmer beaches are producing extreme female biased turtle populations. In some places up to 99%. 

The optimal ratio of male to female turtles is being researched, but some scientists suggest that only a few males are needed to fertilize the eggs. This phenomenon isn’t new, in fact, it’s been reported on and increasing for the past several years. Our friends with fins need cooler temperatures in order for males to hatch and these past few summers have been some of the hottest recorded. The warm temperatures result in warm sand, and therefore warmer nests. What is being done? From straightforward cooling techniques, such as shades to protect nests from the sun, to the more long-term ideas, scientists and volunteers alike are working to come up with solutions to curb the population bias.