Sea turtles have been forced to hatch as only females due to heat waves on Florida’s beaches

Hot Sand means Florida sea turtles do not need gender-reveal parties. All hatchings are females.

With most turtle species, as well as alligators or crocodiles (and other animals), the eggs’ temperature at incubation determines the sexuality of the offspring.

The National Ocean Service says that 81. is the lowest level of HTML1. 86 degrees Fahrenheit, sea turtle eggs hatch as males. Eggs that hatch below 88.8° Fahrenheit will become females. Eggs can hatch from a mixture of male and female sexes within this range.

Heat wave in Florida has tipped the balance towards female turtles, creating an ever more acute sex imbalance.

Bette zirkelbach is the Turtle Hospital’s manager in the Florida Keys. She noted that heat records have been broken in Florida for four consecutive summers. “Scientists studying hatchlings of sea turtle eggs and eggs have not found any boy sea turtles… in four years .”

Without males to bear the fruit, survival of this species could be in danger.

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Melissa Rodriguez is a turtle keeper from the Miami Zoo. She told Reuters, “We don’t have the male to female ratio required to be able have successful breeding sessions .”

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Mrs. Rodriguez said also that the trend would cause a rapid decline in sea turtle population, which are already threatened by disease, predators and plastic pollution.

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