Our results show that under current strategies for nest management: 1) non-native feral hogs and native raccoons have the greatest impact as predators on sea turtle eggs 2) non-native predators have caused significantly more egg loss across Georgia’s coast than native species, but the impact varies greatly by species and 3) losses to predation are similar in magnitude to post-management losses from tides and storms over the last decade. Common predators for the painted turtle and other land turtles include skunks, raccoons. Our objectives were to 1) determine which predators cause the greatest loss of loggerhead sea turtle eggs, 2) evaluate whether non-native species have a higher rate of predation than native species, and 3) compare predation rates to other major sources of egg loss across these islands. A turtles predators depend on its species as well as its location. We analyzed loggerhead nest predation and other egg loss using an exceptional 10-year data set (2009–2018) that covered nesting beaches on 12 islands on the Georgia coast. Birds, raccoons, and fish are just a few of the predators these vulnerable creatures face. In the southeast United Sates, turtle nests are threatened by numerous anthropogenic and natural threats, including predation of eggs by native and non-native predators. Sea turtle hatchlings are born after 5-6 weeks in the nest. Nesting beach management is a vital element of the population recovery efforts for the vulnerable loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) across the globe. Defending against disparate marine turtle nest predators: nesting success benefits from eradicating invasive feral swine and caging nests from raccoons.
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