v14i1.358

eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v14i1.358

Submitted date: 2 August 2024
Accepted date: 21 April 2025
Published date: 31 May 2025
Pp. 79–81.

Courtship and mating observation of olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

K. Silambarasan*, A. Tiburtius, A.J. Chembian, C. Babu & P. Kumar
*Corresponding author. E-mail: silambuplankton@hotmail.com

Sea turtles spend most of their time below the water surface, making it difficult to observe their reproductive behaviour, particularly in open ocean habitats. Olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829), and Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii (Garman, 1880), are the only species of the genus Lepidochelys, and tend to form large aggregations at nesting sites. Olive ridley sea turtles are unique in that some populations nest en mass, while others are solitary nesters. Irruptive nesting events are known as arribadas, where thousands of females come ashore to nest simultaneously. While other sea turtle species are also present in marine areas near nesting grounds, olive ridleys are distinctive in forming large aggregations during arribadas, while spending inter-nesting time in the open ocean. These nearshore areas provide rare opportunities for observation and facilitate research on their reproductive behaviour. However, studying their behaviour in offshore waters remains challenging, as mating events are typically brief and infrequent, making detailed studies of their mating rituals difficult.

Section Editor: Leandro Bugoni