Outlook Online 2009

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority :: Marine Turtle breeding parameters in Queensland

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Marine Turtle breeding parameters in Queensland

Breeding season	Late October to February
Years between breeding	Two to eight years
Age at first female breeding	45 years
Age at recruitment from pelagic to benthic life phase	Four to seven years (30 to 40cm carapace length)
Nesting female length	107cm (range from 91 - 124cm)
Nesting female weight	130kg (range from 98 - 184kg)
Clutch size	115 eggs (range from 62 - 153 eggs)
Hatchling emergence season	December to May
Hatchling success	84 per cent
Hatchling size	4.97cm (range 4.02 - 5.19cm)
Hatchling weight	24.83g (range from 19.8 - 28.4g)
Predators of hatchlings	Crabs, herons, dingoes and fish such as trevally and sharks

Breeding season	Late October to early March, peaking in December
Years between breeding	Three to four years
Age at first female breeding	20 to 25 years
Age at recruitment from pelagic to benthic life phase	About 15 years (60cm carapace length)
Nesting female length	95.9cm (range from 85 - 108cm)
Nesting female weight	99kg (range from 76 - 149kg)
Clutch size	127 eggs (range from 89 - 151 eggs)
Hatchling emergence season	December to April
Hatchling success	80 per cent
Hatchling size	4.33cm (range 4.13 - 4.49cm)
Hatchling weight	19.2g (range from 17 - 20.4g)
Predators of hatchlings	Foxes, kookaburras, crows, raptors, gulls, reef egrets, ghost crabs and fish such as trevally and sharks

Breeding season	Year-round, concentrated from November to February, peaking in January
Years between breeding	Two to five years
Age at first female breeding	30 - 35 years
Age at recruitment from pelagic to benthic life phase	Four to seven years (30cm carapace length)
Nesting female length	81.6cm (range from 63.5 - 91cm)
Nesting female weight	50.4kg (range from 32 - 72kg)
Clutch size	122 eggs (range from 18 - 210 eggs)
Hatchling emergence season	Year-round concentrated from February to April
Hatchling success	79 per cent
Hatchling size	3.98cm (range 3.2 - 4.36cm)
Hatchling weight	13.8g (range from 8 - 17.5g)
Predators of hatchlings	Gulls, reef egrets, ghost crabs, crocodiles, fish, sharks, crabs and dingoes

Breeding season	November to February
Years between breeding	One to three years
Age at first female breeding	20 years
Nesting female length	94cm (range from 88 - 96cm)
Nesting female weight	82kg (range from 70 - 90kg)
Clutch size	54 eggs
Hatchling emergence season	January to April
Hatchling success	80 per cent
Hatchling size	6.1cm (range 5.66 - 6.55cm)
Hatchling weight	44g (range from 33.3 - 49.1g)
Predators of hatchlings	Pelicans, ghost crabs, crocodiles and sharks

Breeding season	December to January
Years between breeding	Not measured (two to four years in other parts of the world)
Nesting female length	162.4cm (range from 150.5 - 174.5cm)
Nesting female weight	Not measured (can weigh up to 960kg)
Clutch size	90 eggs
Hatchling emergence season	February to March
Hatchling success	Low
Hatchling size	5.9cm (range from 5.14 - 6.52cm)
Hatchling weight	47g (range from 38.3 - 54.2g)
Predators of hatchlings	Crabs and foxes

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