Ecuador: discovery of a nest of 90 leatherback turtle eggs, an endangered species
The leatherback turtle is the largest turtle in the world.
It can weigh up to 900 kilos.
© Association Rénatura
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
After the birth of 70 of these giant sea turtles in early March in the province of Manabi, a nest has just been discovered on a beach in the province of Esmeraldas and is the subject of close protection by the authorities.
Publicity
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With our correspondent in Quito
,
Éric Samson
It is a hope in
Ecuador
for
leatherback turtles
, an endangered species that is currently on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The nest was discovered on a beach in the Galera San Francisco Marine Reserve, south of the town of Esmeraldas.
This is not so common in Ecuador which is not a usual nesting area for leatherback turtles.
In a press bulletin, the Ministry of the Environment said that the 90 eggs it contains represent hope for this endangered species.
Leatherback turtles are so rare that in early March, Mexican specialists traveled to Ecuador to help their local colleagues supervise the birth of nine leatherback turtles on a beach in the coastal province of Manabi.
The biggest turtle in the world
The possibility of having 90 births is therefore not insignificant for scientists who have only discovered four leatherback turtle nests in this region of northern Ecuador during the current breeding season.
The one that has just been discovered
has been protected
from stray animals by a fence and a kind of thermometer has been installed to constantly monitor the temperature of the sand and ensure the fertility of the eggs.
Across the eastern Pacific, leatherback turtles have virtually disappeared.
These giant tortoises can grow up to three meters in length and weigh up to a ton, but their reproduction is slow.
Nests had been discovered in 2015 and 2017 in Ecuador but no outbreaks had been recorded.
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To read also: What do we know about turtles?
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