Provisioning of vitellogenic follicles continues after green turtles arrive at the nesting beach.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the energetic demands of reproduction on female sea turtles is crucial for devising effective conservation strategies aimed at supporting the reproductive health and resilience of populations at nesting habitats. We studied the ovaries of 69 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) preyed upon by jaguars (Panthera onca) during three nesting seasons at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, the main green turtle Atlantic nesting beach. Our findings revealed a bimodal distribution of vitellogenic follicles, with 'dominant' follicles destined for ovulation and 'non-dominant' follicles to be resorbed. Female green turtles lay, on average, six clutches with ~110 eggs each per nesting season, and a size hierarchy was also found within dominant follicles. During the nesting season, the diamete

SUBMITTER: Bruno RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11858006 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature