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A study has provided crucial insights into the fertility and reproductive health of wild turtles and tortoises, which could help reverse their declining populations.

Scientists from the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with Save Our Seas Foundation, Nature Seychelles and Fregate Island Foundation, have developed a new technique to distinguish between fertilization failure and early embryo death in reptiles, providing the first estimate of true fertility rates in the species studied.

The method, previously only used in bird research, uses microscopic techniques originally developed for bird eggs to assess whether turtle and tortoise eggs have been fertilized and if embryos have died at an early stage.

The study, published in Animal Conservation, provides clear evidence of fertilization and embryo survival, even after eggs have been left in wild nests for their entire incubation period.

Turtles and tortoises are facing a global extinction crisis. The loss of these species could have devastating effects on ecosystems, as they play essential roles in maintaining healthy environments. By uncovering the causes of reproductive failure, the research paves the way for more targeted and effective conservation strategies.

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