Sex ratio of immature Kemp's ridley turtles ( Lepidochelys kempi ) from Gullivan Bay, Ten Thousand Islands, south-west Florida
2005; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 85; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1017/s0025315405011070h
ISSN1469-7769
AutoresW. N. Witzell, Alyssa A. Geis, J. Schmid, Thane Wibbels,
Tópico(s)Animal Behavior and Reproduction
ResumoThe sex ratio of 100 immature Kemp's ridley turtles ( Lepidochelys kempi ) captured in Gullivan Bay, Ten Thousand Islands, south-west Florida was determined through radioimmunoassay analysis (RIA) of plasma testosterone levels. We determined the sex ratio to be 1·9F:1·0M, corroborating the female dominance reported from other studies. The mean sizes of female (N=57) and male turtles (N=30) were 40·9 cm (±6·9 SD) and 41·9 cm (±6·2 SD), respectively. There were an additional 13 turtles (41·3 cm±6·5 SD) for which sex could not be determined by this technique. Female-biased sex ratios are not uncommon in reptiles with temperature dependent sex determination. If fecundity is not male-limited, the occurrence of a female-biased sex ratio could enhance the recovery of the endangered Kemp's ridley turtle.
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