Internesting intervals for loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, and green turtles, Chelonia mydas, are affected by temperature

To investigate the influence of temperature on the length of internesting p eriods in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas), body temperature and water temperature and depth for free-ranging t urtles were monitored during internesting periods using micro data loggers. Body mass and clutch size were also measured. The experiments were conduct ed at nesting beaches in the Japanese archipelago from 1989 through 1996. I nternesting interval was significantly negatively correlated with mean body temperature and mean water temperature. Internesting intervals for some tu rtles exceeded 21 d when they experienced low water temperatures. Arrhenius ' equation was used to describe the quantitative relationships, and Q(10) v alues of 3.1 for water temperature and 3.4 for body temperature were calcul ated. There was no significant relationship between either clutch size or b ody mass and internesting interval. Body temperatures were kept higher than water temperatures throughout internesting periods, and larger turtles sho wed a higher mean thermal difference between body temperature and water tem perature. The internesting interval could be considered an egg-maturation p eriod for the next oviposition. The rate of pre-ovipositional development o f eggs seemed to be accelerated by high body temperature and decelerated by low body temperature.