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When a turtle lays an egg, the gender of the turtle depends on the<br />
temperature. If the temperature is 27 C or less, then the turtle will be<br />
a male, but if the temperature is 31 C or more, then the turtle will be a<br />
female. To recognise the gender of a turtle you can: Look at the sea<br />
turtle's tail size. Male sea turtles have a longer tail that extends past<br />
the edge of the carapace, while females have a shorter tail that barely<br />
reaches the carapace. Or Look at the sea turtle's cloaca. This is an<br />
opening or vent on the underside of the tail. Male sea turtles have a<br />
cloaca that is closer to the tip of the tail, while females have a cloaca<br />
that is closer to the body.<br />
For thousands of years, turtles have used the same nesting<br />
beaches because the temperature is just right and the eggs<br />
won’t wash away. If we destroy a nesting beach, the turtles will<br />
just stop laying or lay eggs in the road that has replaced their<br />
nesting area.<br />
Nesting is a complicated thing. How it works is that when a<br />
mom lays its eggs the turtles when they hatch they memorize<br />
their beach to grow up and lay their eggs in the same place -<br />
meaning if we can calculate when they hatch we can know<br />
when they will come back to watch or learn more about them.<br />
Not just that: in the process of them growing by the time<br />
they come back to their nesting place the might be new<br />
buildings that could harm the mom or the new eggs<br />
This is why you should never interfere with hatchlings or try<br />
to “help” them get to the sea. <strong>The</strong> baby turtles need to move<br />
or they will not remember their beach for when it’s time to<br />
lay their eggs.<br />
This little one will always remember the beach where she<br />
hatched<br />
DID YOU KNOW?<br />
QATAR PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROTECTING ENDANGERED<br />
SEA TURTLES. EVERY YEAR HAWKSBILL TURTLES COME TO NEST<br />
IN FUWAIRIT AND THE MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND<br />
CLIMATE CHANGE HAS RESCUED 30C00 EGGS SO FAR.<br />
SADLY, ONLY 1 IN 1000 TURTLES LIVE TO ADULTHOOD AND A<br />
HAWKSBILL ONLY STARTS LAYING EGGS AT THE AGE OF 25!<br />
THESE MAGNIFICENT CREATURES THAT SURVIVED THE DINOSAURS<br />
MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE OUR PLASTIC POLLUTION,<br />
GREENHOUSE GASES AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.<br />
SO HOW DO WE BALANCE FAIRNESS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT?<br />
KEEP READING TO FIND OUT MORE!
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