Nest density and Nest Predation of sea turtle (Testudines, Chelonidae) by canids in Southern Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The presence of domestic animals in the wilderness has a negative effect on wildlife populationsor; for instance, in addition to habitat loss, urbanization, and coastal light pollution, sea turtles also suffer from another threat: the predation of their eggs, hatchlings, and even female nesters by domestic, feral, and/or wild animals. Domestic dogs are a considerable concern for turtles in nesting areas, due to their free-ranging lifestyle and the absence of predators. This study sought to evaluate the nest density and rates of sea turtle predation caused mainly by canids: foxes (native predator) and dogs (introduced predator) in the nesting areas of Southern Bahia, Brazil. Predation data was collected during field surveys and by using camera traps and hair traps installed in nests. During the sampling period, an average of 46 nests were laid by three sea turtle species: Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, and Lepidochelys olivacea; 46.4% were lost due to predation or inundation caused by the tides. Canine populations on the island have an evident impact on sea turtle nests. Thus, it is crucial to design and implement environmental education programs and management plans with the local community to help reduce human-made and natural loss of nests and safeguard sea turtle populations and their habitat.

KEYWORDS:

• Marine turtle
• domestic dogs
• camera trap
• predator

Acknowledgments

We thank to Comandatuba’s Resort for support in the fieldwork and we thank the anonymous reviewers who improved the manuscript, to Santiago Alvarez Martinez for English revision, and to Nicholas Rodrigues and Elson O. Rios for the hair photographs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - Brazil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and we thank to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ) for the productivity grant for the last author.