By
Michelle Warwicker, BBC Nature
The
sex lives of critically endangered hawksbill turtles have been revealed by
scientists studying the animals in the Seychelles.
Previously,
little had been understood about the mating habits of the turtles, which live
underwater and often far out at sea.
Researchers
were surprised to find that the turtles are mainly monogamous, with females
storing sperm from one male and using it to fertilise multiple egg clutches.
The
study, led by researchers from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, was
published in the online journal Molecular Ecology.
"Sperm
storage" is found in animals including reptiles, birds and some turtles,
tortoises and terrapins.
Females
can store viable sperm from multiple males for long periods of time, meaning
that their egg clutches are sometimes fertilised by more than one father.
Researchers
carried out DNA testing from hawksbill turtle hatchlings on Cousine Island in
the Seychelles to identify how many males were involved in fertilising eggs
during a breeding season.
The
tests revealed a monogamous mating system: most egg clutches were sired by just
one male, and no males had fertilised more than one female during the 75-day
season.
Read
more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21261584
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