This week it happened. We had our first little hatchlings bursting from the sand. Some have said their tracks look like a mad spider's web. Hopefully, I can bring you pictures of the spewing chaos soon. Although none of the hatched nests are in my section, we have five clutches of eggs that hatched on Anna Maria Island this week.
Since we can't capture this miracle without disorienting the hatchlings, I found this National Geographic video from their recently aired Sea Turtle Odyssey that shows how a sea turtle's journey begins.
As we begin to track this year's nests, we are seeing a trend in shorter incubation periods. The later the nests are laid, the faster they are hatching. We're not yet sure what this means, but hotter nests yield a greater number of female turtles. The sex of a turtle is determined by the temperature in the nest. I tell students "cool dudes and hot chicks" to help them remember cool nests (and areas of the nest) create male turtles, while hotter nests and nesting areas produce female turtles.
Next week, all walkers will begin to check the nests for signs of hatching: indentations in the sand and ghost crab holes near the nests. If we see signs of movement in and around the nest, we will mark it with a blue ribbon to alert fellow walkers to check the nest closely each day.
Since we can't capture this miracle without disorienting the hatchlings, I found this National Geographic video from their recently aired Sea Turtle Odyssey that shows how a sea turtle's journey begins.
As we begin to track this year's nests, we are seeing a trend in shorter incubation periods. The later the nests are laid, the faster they are hatching. We're not yet sure what this means, but hotter nests yield a greater number of female turtles. The sex of a turtle is determined by the temperature in the nest. I tell students "cool dudes and hot chicks" to help them remember cool nests (and areas of the nest) create male turtles, while hotter nests and nesting areas produce female turtles.
Next week, all walkers will begin to check the nests for signs of hatching: indentations in the sand and ghost crab holes near the nests. If we see signs of movement in and around the nest, we will mark it with a blue ribbon to alert fellow walkers to check the nest closely each day.
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