TECHNOLOGY OF AUTOMATIC TURTLE HATCHERS WITH THE SETTING OF MALE-FEMALE (MATICGATOR) FOR CONSERVATION OF TURTLES IN TAMAN KILI-KILI, TRENGGALEK, EAST JAVA
Sukandar1,2, Vian Dedi Pratama1,2, Sunardi1,2, Meliana1, Zainal Abidin1
1Fisheries and Marine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia.
2Indonesia Marine And Fisheries Research Group
Abstract
The eggs incubator technology (maticgator) was developed to increase the success of hatching turtle eggs in several turtle conservation areas in East Java. Various obstacles in hatching turtle eggs naturally exist include eggs eaten by wild animals (natural predators), theft of human, unstable temperature and soil humidity. The next problem is the number of eggs that hatch into hatchlings, the ratio of males and females are more females, it caused by the earths temperature is getting higher, whereas in nature each turtle female requires more males for fertilization. The development of a turtle eggs incubator (maticgator) technology up to the stage can manipulate the number of male or female hatcheries, by adjusting automatically the temperature and humidity. Experiments in the Taman Kili-Kili Trenggalek show that turtle eggs hatching results reach 80%, more than natural hatching eggs (50%). Automatic adjustment on the maticgator results in a hatching ratio of females: males are 1: 6, or 7 females and 33 males with the total 40 eggs.
Keywords: Hatching, eggs, turtle, conservations
Topic: Sosical Economic and Community Development