Temperature may determine the sex of hawksbill turtles, as cooler environments hatch more males and warmer nests hatch more females.
Sex determination of hawksbill turtles is thought to be temperature-dependent, as is the case with other sea turtles and reptiles, however not enough data is available to be sure this is true.
Generally, eggs that are laid in cooler environments, less than 28.5°Celsius, tend to produce more males than females, and warm nests, greater than 30.3°Celsius, are known to hatch more females than males.
Sources: (Edelman, 2004; Ernst & Barbour, 1992; Hersh, 2016; Hirth, 1997; Märzhäuser, 2018; Turtle Trax, 2005)
Image: Gerwin Sturm
