The Hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) lives much of the year in water and far from shore. At the beginning of the season, the females mate and are able to store the male's sperm for months to be able to use it when they reach the beaches where they nest.
The researchers, from the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom), analyzed several DNA samples taken from tortoises on Cousine Island (Seychelles Islands), an important nesting site for these animals. These are difficult species to study, since their underwater life makes direct observations difficult. However, new genetic analysis techniques have allowed us to obtain a lot of information on the habits of turtles. "We now know much more about the mating system of this endangered species from observing DNA samples from female turtles and their young, so we can identify and count the number of reproductive males involved." Among other things, scientists have found that hawksbill females are monogamous and typically mate once throughout the season, storing sperm for use over the next two months in multiple nests.
The researchers, whose work is published in the journal Molecular Ecology , have pointed out the importance of understanding where mating occurs, as this information can help improve efficiency in conservation efforts for this endangered species.
