SEASONALITY AND NUMBERS OF GREEN TURTLES CHELONIA-MYDAS NESTING ON THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS

During 1991 and 1992 the first regular field observations of green tur tles, Chelonia mydas, on the Pitcairn Islands (South Pacific) revealed that nesting occurs only on Henderson where about 10 females laid egg s (c. 1% of the French Polynesian population). Substrates on Pitcairn and Ducie Atoll are unsuitable for nesting and no signs of nesting wer e found on Oeno Atoll where the terrain appears suitable. (C) 1995 The Linnean Society of London