Nearly Half Of Ramla L-Ħamra’s Turtle Nest Eggs Hatch Successfully
The Ramla l-Ħamra nest site was excavated earlier today and 26 turtles were confirmed to have hatched successfully.
“Today ERA and Nature Trust Malta officials, opened up the nest to asses its status and see how many hatchlings came out,” wrote the Environment and Resources Authority on social media.
The excavation was conducted four nights from the hatching and it was confirmed that the nest contained a total of 57 eggs. Out of these, 29 were not fertilised, 2 were fertilised but stopped developing, and the remaining 26 hatched successfully.
“Although these are not the results we wish for, lack of fertilisation is something natural, and also helps us assess the health of the male turtles in our seas,” wrote Wildlife Rescue Team Malta. “Unfortunately, this phenomenon is being encountered across all countries and could be a result of either fewer males, or males not eating enough fatty food to aid in sperm production.”
The hatch rate was of 45% and out of the fertilised eggs, 93% hatched.
The NGOs and ERA thanked all their volunteers who have been monitoring the nests 24/7.
Have you ever witnessed a turtle nest hatching?
Credit: ERA, Nature Trust, Wildlife Rescue Team Malta
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