KEMP'S RIDLEY (LEPIDOCHELYS KEMPI) NESTING IN FLORIDA

Kemp's ridley is one of the world's most endangered vertebrates. The primary nesting site of the species is Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico; secondary nesting beaches are located near Rancho Nuevo. Isolated nesting has occurred at various other locations within the Gulf of Mexico, and more recently on the eastern coast of the United States. We report the first confirmed nesting of a Kemp's ridley on the eastern coast of Florida (two nests in Volusia Co.) and an additional nesting on Florida's west coast (Lee Co.). Genetic analysis showed that hatchlings from one of the Volusia Co. nests were pure L. kempi and not hybrids. Including the nests reported here, five L. kempi nests, involving three individual turtles, have been confirmed on Florida's beaches thus far. There is no evidence that these individuals were part of the Kemp's ridley headstart program, although that possibility cannot be excluded.