Primer reporte de la temporada de anidación de la tortuga verde Chelonia mydas (Testudinata: Cheloniidae) en playa Lagarto, península de Azuero, Panamá

The nesting season of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in the Panamanian Pacific is poorly studied, despite being a crucial event for understanding its ecology and contributing to the conservation of this endangered species. The present study aimed to characterize the nesting activity of C. mydas at Playa Lagarto, located on the Azuero Peninsula. Nighttime monitoring was conducted during the nesting season from December 2022 to March 2023. Biometric data was collected from nesting turtles; they were tagged and their nests were monitored. During the season, 15 nesting females were tagged, averaging a CCL of 91.1 ± 7.0 cm and a CCW of 85.2 ± 6.6 cm. A total of 32 nests were documented, and females exhibited a nesting success rate of 31.4%. There was a preference for nesting in the upper zone with beach vegetation, confirming the typical behavior for this species. The relationship between CCL and the reproductive capacity of nesting females (number of eggs laid) was corroborated. Regarding threats to nesting, 6.25% of the nests were poached by humans. Given the scarcity of data related to the nesting behavior of C. mydas in the Panamanian Pacific, the data obtained in this study represents crucial information for the conservation of this species on the Azuero Peninsula. Continuing the monitoring efforts to study nesting trends in this population is recommended.