Title

A model for assessing mean age-specific fecundity in sea turtle populations

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title

Herpetologica

Publication Date

1-1-1984

Volume

40

First Page

281

Last Page

291

Abstract

A model is developed to estimate mean age-specific fecundity for sea turtle populations. Information on the numbers of eggs laid by female turtles of known relative ages is used to estimate the mean number of eggs that will be laid by females that are reproducing at a given age. Information on the frequencies of interseasonal nesting intervals is then used to adjust mean age-specific fecundities to reflect the substantial proportion of females in each age class that do not reproduce in a particular season (i.e., at a particular age). The model is developed with data collected on adult female loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, nesting on Little Cumberland Island, Georgia, USA, from 1969 through 1981. The model is applicable to species of both marine and freshwater turtles in which individual females may not reproduce each year (i.e., at each consecutive age).

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