Análise de temperatura de incubação dos ninhos de Eretmochelys imbricata (linnaeus, 1766) no litoral sul de Pernambuco, Brasil.

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the influence of incubation temperature on the nests of Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766), on the beaches of the south coast of Ipojuca-PE, correlating with abiotic parameters (rainfall and relative humidity), reproductive success, incubation time and characterization of the nest area. Quantitative data from the nests were collected during the 2021/2022 breeding season between January and March, on the beaches of Cupe and Merepe, in this locality. The season had six monitored nests with their variation measured using data loggers of the Onset Computer model (UA-001-08). For these nests, a total of 849 eggs were deposited, of which 526 hatchlings emerged, with a hatching success rate of 57%. For the analyzed data, an average of 53 days was obtained for the incubation period, in which the average temperature of the nests in the interval from the 1st to the 20th, from the 21th to the 40th and from the 41st until hatching of the chicks were respectively 31.25°C, 32.36°C and 32.42°C. The pivotal temperature for the species is 29.2°C and 29.6°C. As for the characterization of the nesting area, only 2 nests were found close to the vegetation area; With regard to rainfall during the monitored weeks, there were significant variations in the average daily rainfall between the first week and the fourth week recorded, with the rainfall index being 19.4 mm and 1.10 mm, respectively. The results obtained indicated the need to invest more and more studies of temperature monitoring in the nests in the long term, where they demonstrated a significant influence on the estimation of neonates that can be born females of the species E. imbricata in the south coast of Pernambuco.