Sex ratio of immature Kemp's ridley turtles ( Lepidochelys kempi ) from Gullivan Bay, Ten Thousand Islands, south-west Florida

The sex ratio of 100 immature Kemp’s ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempi) captured in Gullivan Bay, Ten Thousand Islands, south-west Florida was determined through radioimmunoassay analysis (RIA) of plasma testosterone levels. We determined the sex ratio to be 1.9F:1.0M, corroborating the female dominance reported from other studies. The mean sizes of female (N¼57) and male turtles (N¼30) were 40.9 cm ( � 6.9 SD) and 41.9 cm (� 6.2 SD), respectively. There were an additional 13 turtles (41.3 cm � 6.5 SD) for which sex could not be determined by this technique. Female-biased sex ratios are not uncommon in reptiles with temperature dependent sex determination. If fecundity is not male-limited, the occurrence of a female-biased sex ratio could enhance the recovery of the endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle.