Características de la anidación de la tortuga verde Chelonia mydas (Testudinata, Cheloniidae) en la playa Caleta de los Piojos, Cuba, a partir de marcaciones externas

Abstract

Nesting characteristics of the Green turtle Chelonia mydas (Testudinata, Cheloniidae) at Caleta de los Piojos Beach, Cuba, determined from tagging studies

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) females nesting during 2002 and 2003 nesting seasons at Caleta de los Piojos Beach, Cuba, were studied using data from individual tagging. Nesting occurred on average twice per season with a mean interval of 10.9 days. A high number of turtles nested only once per season (39% and 40% respectively). The percentage of failed multiple nesting attempts was high in both seasons. However, the percentage of failed attempts prior to the first nesting was higher in the 2003 season. Vegetation areas seem to be the most suitable sites for nesting and have a significant effect on nest-site selection behaviour. Fidelity to first nest-site was high, 50.3% and 72.9% respectively for 2002 and 2003. Observed mean clutch size (117 eggs) was closely related to body dimensions.