MadSci Network: Zoology |
Absolutely! Crocodiles (and some sea turtles) have "temperature dependent sex determination". This means the fertilized egg which is laid in the nest has an unknown sex. The temperature the egg is kept at has a strong impact on the development of the embryo. To produce a male, temperatures generally need to be around 31/32 degrees Celcius, with females being produced at slightly lower temperatures. Usually, males are born from the top of the nest, where it is warmer than the very bottom of the nest. Of course, temperatures either side of these cause the embryo to die within the egg. This has massive implications with respect to global warming and threatened species management. If the climate changes by a few degrees, only one sex may be produced, with catastrophic effects on population numbers. Hope this clarifies the issue a little! cheers, Alastair
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