Seychelles Giant Tortoise, 2022 (photography)

Seychelles Giant Tortoise (Dipsochelys hololissa), Curieuse Island near Praslin, Seychelles, Africa, Indian Ocean. Turtles in danger. Before, hunted for their meat and their eggs. Now it is climate change that represents a new threat to the turtles. Climate change is putting giant tortoise populations at risk, as well as sea turtles. Global warming is already altering the migrations of giant tortoises. Their migration is key to the survival of many species of trees and plants, since they disperse seeds. As for the marine ones, the sex of the offspring of these animals depends on the temperature of the sand in which they lay their eggs: the hottest sand causes an increase in the proportion of female offspring. This is not the only consequence of climate change. The increase in extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical cyclones, could endanger their habitat, flooding their nests and eroding beaches.