Predicted sex ratio of juvenile Hawksbill Seaturtles inhabiting Buck Island Reef national monument, U.S. Virgin Islands
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Hawksbill Seaturtles have temperature-dependent sex determination. As such, the resulting sex ratios are of conservational and ecological significance. Buck Island Reef is an interesting location for sex ratio studies since it represents a natural and unexploited foraging ground for hawksbills in the Caribbean. To examine sex ratios, blood samples were obtained from juvenile Hawksbill Seaturtles captured on Buck Island Reef over a four-year period. We used a radioimmunoassay to determine testosterone levels in those samples and compared those values to testosterone levels of juvenile hawksbills from the Caribbean whose sex has been verified by laparoscopy. The results of this study reveal a significantly female-biased sex ratio (approximately 80% female) occurs in this juvenile aggregation inhabiting Buck Island Reef.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Predicted sex ratio of juvenile Hawksbill Seaturtles inhabiting Buck Island Reef national monument, U.S. Virgin Islands |
Series title | Journal of Herpetology |
DOI | 10.1670/0022-1511(2003)037[0400:PSROJH]2.0.CO;2 |
Volume | 37 |
Issue | 2 |
Year Published | 2003 |
Language | English |
Publisher | BioOne |
Description | 5 p. |
First page | 400 |
Last page | 404 |
Country | United States |
Other Geospatial | U.S. Virgin Islands |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |