Drought and high temperatures have advanced the laying of eggs of Mediterranean tortoises at the Albera Turtle Reproduction Center (CRT), in Garriguella (Girona) and their birth.
The center's technician, Andreu Cufí, explains that this captive-breeding species in clear decline is highly adapted to the Mediterranean climate and long periods of drought, but that the babies are more vulnerable and need adequate conditions once they hatch.
"When they are born they need water from minute one and also that the earth is humid, which is what usually happens at the end of August, beginning of September," he says.
The first hatchlings hatched on August 18, two weeks earlier than usual, and they have found at least six formed and dead in the egg.
The lack of rain and high temperatures recorded this summer are having serious effects on flora and fauna. This is the case of the Mediterranean tortoises, an endangered species that the Albera Tortoise Reproduction Center breeds in captivity. From the center they detected how the laying of the eggs was earlier during the spring and now the births have done so even more.
Normally the young of this species, native to Catalonia, begin to hatch from their eggs -buried underground- between the end of August and the beginning of September, with the "first rains". These rains moisten the earth and promote the first shoots of grass, which serve as food.
However, the first hatchlings this year began hatching on August 18. Those that have been detected have been put in a terrarium to encourage them to have water and humidity and to survive. Cufí says that they have managed to recover about 18 but that they have also turned up dead. At least six.
"Despite being fully formed, they were dead and completely dry inside the eggs," explains the center's technician. In each setting they have found one or two in these conditions. "There are also others that we have had to help because since they see that the right conditions don't exist and the ground doesn't get wet, they don't know if they should go out or not," he details.
And if this happens in captivity, says Cufí, in the middle of nature the situation is probably even more alarming. "All those that have spawned and hatched early will die if they lack water," she says.
In a normal year, in the Albera CRT between 300 and 400 Mediterranean tortoises are born, they are bred in captivity and once they reach adulthood, after 4 or 5 years, and have the most resistant carapace, they are released into the natural environment to reinforce the wild population that lives in the Albera mountains.
"At the end of September we will see if half, or 70% or less are born this year," says Cufí. "Yes, it is true that in recent years with the heat we have detected a small drop because the females do not have enough energy in spring and some leave their eggs outside without laying them well because they prioritize their survival," explains the center's technician.
Cufí also believes that the lack of predators such as the white throat that they have detected this year would also be related to the drought.
The center also fears the situation will repeat itself with other species such as the brook or tin turtle, which usually hatch later.
To try to minimize the effects of the lack of water, for a couple of weeks -when they detected the first births- they sprayed the laying areas, those with more grass and more light. "We do it day in and day out. We have to try to keep the calves going to maintain the project we have," says Cufí. The objective is that the earth is more "tender" and that the turtles can leave "with the minimum conditions".
The Albera CRT opened to the public in 1994 and offers visits where you can see native species of turtles from Catalonia, although there is also a space dedicated to exotic species. They mainly have specimens of Mediterranean tortoises (with a hundred reproductive adults) that breed in captivity, but there are also stream and tin tortoises as well as some exotic species that have escaped or have been abandoned.
