Hot sand means that Florida sea turtles don’t need to have gender-reveal parties – they’re all hatching as females.
With most species of turtle, along with alligators and crocodiles, the sex of their offspring is determined by the egg’s temperature during incubation.
The National Ocean Service states that, below 81.86 degrees Fahrenheit, sea turtle eggs hatch as males. When eggs hatch at 88.8 degrees Fahrenheit or above, they will hatch as females. Within that range, eggs hatch with a mix of both sexes.
Heat waves in Florida have tipped the scales firmly towards female turtles, causing an ever-more acute sex imbalance.