Artificial breeding of the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in a captive facility in the Republic of Korea

By

Cho, Eunvit
Moon, Dae-Yeon
Kim, Il-Hun
Han, Dongjin
Lee, Ki-Young
Park, Il-Kook

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025

Original Publication

Nature conservation

Volume

58

Pages

165--181

Subjects

captive breeding , growth rate , hatching success , population recovery , sperm storage

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2012-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.58.143706

 

Abstract

Captive breeding has been conducted across various regions to restore globally endangered sea turtle populations. However, understanding how turtles adapt to artificial breeding environments that differ considerably from their natural habitats remains underexplored. This study focused on the artificial breeding of two male and two female hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, in a controlled facility in the Republic of Korea, isolated from the outdoor environment and located far north of their natural nesting grounds. The main objectives were to document the entire breeding process while identifying limitations in the breeding methods and suggesting improvements. During the study period, the hawksbill turtles laid 864 eggs across 10 clutches, resulting in 83 hatchlings. The mean fertilization rate was 33%, whereas hatching success rates were 10% and 32% for the number of total laid eggs and fertile eggs, respectively. A female turtle laid eggs two-and-a-half years after post-mating, demonstrating that hawksbill turtles can utilize long-term sperm storage for laying eggs in subsequent breeding seasons without additional mating. Enhancing captive breeding methods is crucial for improving the efficiency of sea turtle population recovery and expanding our understanding of their ecological characteristics.