1 An average of 6.3 live hatchlings were excavated from each Chelonia nest.
² An average of 4.3 live hatchlings were excavated from each Lepidochelys nest.

Carapace scute variations found in live green turtle hatchlings that remained in the nest were also high. During May-June 1989, 450 normally emerged green turtle hatchlings and the hatchlings remaining in nests were examined for carapace scute variations; 16.7% of the normally emerged hatchlings showed carapace scute variations, while 48.8% of the hatchlings remaining in the nest showed such variations.

Embryos were not examined for abnormalities other than for albinism. However, it was noted that most dead embryos in later developmental stages had deformities of some kind. Eight green turtle clutches contained one albino each and one contained a live albino hatchling, whereas only one olive ridley clutch contained an albino embryo. Four of the albino green turtle embryos were found alive with thick blood vessels and four had died in late embryonic stages. As an aside, let me point out that, in our experience, pure white eggs without depressions at the end of the incubating period can contain either a dead embryo in a very early stage of development or a live embryo at a very late stage. By pressing the egg gently with two fingers, the movement of the live embryo can be felt. In such instances, the egg is placed back in the sand and a hatchling often emerges after a few days. If there is no movement, the egg is opened for examination. Unfortunately, in eggs containing albinos the movements are not clear and these are sometimes mistaken for dead embryos. Six of the albino embryos were not properly formed. Most had deformities of the jaws or eyes. In the live albino hatchling, the eyes were not formed.

An extreme case of deformities to the eyes was observed in a clutch of 107 ridley eggs which were buried on 6 October 1989 and excavated 1 December 1989 because, after 56 days, no hatchlings had emerged. The nest contained 22 live hatchlings, 3 dead hatchlings, 65 dead embryos pre-carapace stage, 12 dead embryos post-carapace stage, and 5 spoilt eggs. Eye deformities are recorded in Table 2.

Table 2. Eye deformities in hatchlings (n=25) and late embryos (n=12) from a single clutch of olive ridley turtle eggs (n=107), Victor Hasselblad hatchery, Sri Lanka.

In summary, physical deformities seem prevalent in live hatchlings that remained in transplanted nest cavities and dead embryos in the late stages of development. In nature, deformed hatchlings that fail to emerge may die within the nest. Therefore, deformities in green turtle and olive ridley hatchlings may be fatal either before hatching or before emergence. As a note of interest, in addition to the pair of twin green turtle hatchlings reported in July 1989 [MTN 46:9], a single pair of twin olive ridley embryos was also found.