08/04/2022
A hybrid sea turtle 😮. SCCF sea turtle staff confirmed this week that a turtle encountered on a Sanibel beach last summer, named Flame Lily, is half hawksbill, half loggerhead. The team first saw Flame Lily during a nighttime nesting event, and a later daytime encounter allowed biologists to get a clearer look at her unique features. Samples were sent to Dr. Brian Shamblin at the University of Georgia for genetic testing.
“Further testing is needed to learn which parent is the hawksbill, but in most similar cases, the hawksbill is the male,” said Kelly Sloan, coastal wildlife director and sea turtle program coordinator.
Hawksbills are one of five sea turtle species found in Florida’s waters, but are rarely ever seen nesting on Sanibel’s beaches. Sloan explained that because loggerhead sea turtles tend to nest earlier than hawksbill sea turtles, it’s possible that hawksbill males find only loggerhead females when they arrive to courtship areas. Hybrid hawksbill/loggerhead sea turtles typically have successful clutches, and Flame Lily’s nest last year produced 104 hatchlings.
