OBSERVATIONS ON THE COURTSHIP AND MATING BEHAVIOR OF CAPTIVE GREEN TURTLES (CHELONIA MYDAS)

The courtship and mating behaviors of the Green Turtle (Chelonia myths) are not well documented because of the limitations of direct observation in the ocean. We aimed to comprehensively document the courtship and mating behaviors of Green Turtles through captive observation under surveillance in the Huidong Sea Turtle National Reserve, China. In our study of 58 individuals between 2015 and 2018, we found that the turtles exhibited a polygynandrous mating system and mated during periods of rising temperatures between 20.3 degrees-26.2 degrees C. A single mating could last up to 16 h. The breeding temperature range for males was broader than that of females, but females had significantly longer cumulative mating time, significantly higher mating quantity, and significantly more mates than the males. The males had a similar courtship process to that of wild sea turtles. They conducted an alternating male-male competitive tactic. They focused on a few sexually receptive females and were able to accurately locate them night and day, indicating that the males may find potential mates not only by visual cues, but potentially also by olfactory stimulation.