The Survival Rate from Splitting Clutch Design Method for Green Turtle’s Relocated Nest in Penang Island, Malaysia

Abstract

Ten nests were collected from Kerachut and Teluk Kampi, Penang Island between 2 August 2009 and 9 December 2009, and each one nest was split into three small clutch sizes for incubation at three nesting depths (45 cm, 55 cm and 65 cm), with a total of 30 modified nests for this experiment. Three important objectives were formulated; to observe on the survival hatchings among the three nesting depths, to study on the effects of sand temperature on incubation period among the three nesting depths, and to investigate the influence of sand temperature on hatchling’s morphology. Main result shows that the mean survival of the hatchlings was 25.40% at 45 cm nesting depth, followed by mean 17.60% at 55 cm nesting depth, and lastly, the mean was 21.50% at 65 cm nesting depth. Overall, there are 56.63% survival hatchlings, 10.97% dead hatchlings and 32.40% unhatched eggs were produced. The incubation period was also found to be significantly correlated with sand temperature, p > 0.001, and nesting depth, p < 0.001. The hatchling’s length and weight varies is sizes across the nesting depths, p < 0.001. However, the small difference in hatchling sizes per nesting depths are not strong enough to prove the significant correlation with sand temperature, p > 0.05. This article provides a basic knowledge from the splitting clutch design method. A sum of 50%–60% survivals hatchlings produced were incubating under small range of clutch sizes, 29 to 49 eggs. This article provides basic result on the survival hatchlings, eggs survivorship, incubation period, temperature, hatchling’s morphology and discussion on implication of this method on conservation in Malaysia.