|
-
If
there is a distinct well defined body pit then there will be
a nest.
-
If there is a large differential
between the length of the two tracks then she spent a
lot of time on the beach. What was she doing?
-
Don't start probing right away. Take a few
minutes to look at the details of the body pit. Approach the
area as though it were a crime scene. Don't contaminate it
with footprints until you have determined the sequence
of events. Which track was the incoming track vs. the
outgoing track, which way was she facing, in which direction
was the sand thrown, where is the mark the edge of the shell
makes as she makes her final turn before leaving the
nest? These clues can save a lot of probing time.
-
Some nests can be quite deep and require a
little bit of extra pressure on the probe.
-
If there is more than one body pit it
is most likely that the last one before the exit crawl
is where you will find the nest.
-
Persistence and determination will result in
success. If you run out of time and have to leave call
someone else to take over.
-
If you can't find the nest chamber but all
the signs are there then mark the whole body pit with
flagging tape and place a stick behind it with the date and
a question mark. These are reported as wild nests should
they hatch out some 55 + days later.
Above all else you must remember that just when you think you
have it all figured out you learn something new, because
turtles, like people, are all individuals and prone to doing
things their own way.
Tony Natoli
|
|