Sains Malaysiana 44(1)(2015): 49–55

Effects of Egg Incubation Methods on Locomotor Performances of Green Turtle

(Chelonia mydas) Hatchlings

(Kesan Kaedah Pengeraman Telur ke atas Prestasi Pergerakan Anak Penyu Agar Chelonia mydas)

MOHD UZAIR RUSLI¹*, JUANITA JOSEPH², HOCK-CHARK LIEW¹ & ZAINUDIN BACHOK¹

¹School of Marine Sciences and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

²Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

Received: 12 June 2013/Accepted: 30 June 2014

ABSTRACT

Effects of different incubation methods on crawling and swimming ability of post-emergence green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings at Cherating (Kuantan, Pahang) and Chagar Hutang (Pulau Redang, Terengganu) Turtle Sanctuary were analysed during nesting season in 2009. Mean crawling speed of hatchlings incubated in styrofoam box, beach hatchery and in situ were at 0.042±0.008, 0.136±0.026 and 0.143±0.045 m/s, respectively. Crawling performance of hatclings from styrofoam box can be improved by keeping them for at least 48 h after their emergence. For swimming performance, all types of incubation methods showed significant differences in mean power-stroke rate during their early swimming effort ranging at 93-114 strokes/min. However, no correlation was found between morphological characteristics of hatchlings and swimming performance. The results from this study may give different perspective in evaluating hatchling production, which is in terms of hatchling morphological characteristics and their locomotor performance.

Keywords: Chelonia mydas; conservation; incubation methods; locomotors performance

ABSTRAK

Kesan kaedah pengeraman ke atas prestasi merangkak dan berenang anak penyu agar (Chelonia mydas) yang baru menetas di Tempat Perlindungan Penyu Cherating (Kuantan, Pahang) dan Chagar Hutang (Pulau Redang, Terengganu) telah dianalisis pada musim bertelur tahun 2009. Purata kelajuan merangkak anak penyu yang dieram di dalam kotak polisterin, pantai tempat penetasan dan in situ adalah berbeza dengan masing-masing mencatatkan 0.042±0.008, 0.136±0.026 dan 0.143±0.045 m/s. Prestasi merangkak anak penyu daripada kotak polisterin boleh ditingkatkan dengan cara menyimpan mereka sekurang-kurangnya 48 jam selepas menetas. Daripada aspek prestasi renangan, semua jenis pengeraman telah menunjukkan perbezaan yang signifikan dengan julat 93-114 kuak seminit. Walau bagaimanapun, perkaitan antara ciri morfologi dengan prestasi renangannya tidak ditemui dalam kajian ini. Hasil kajian ini telah memberi satu perspektif yang berbeza kepada penilaian penghasilan anak penyu iaitu dalam bentuk ciri morfologi dan prestasi pergerakan anak penyu.

Kata kunci: Chelonia mydas; kaedah pengeraman; pemeliharaan; prestasi pergerakan

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*Corresponding author; email: uzair@umt.edu.my