Habanero Pepper Powder as a Potential Deterrent to Nest Predation of Turtle Nests: A Response to Burke et al. (Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 14(2):201-203, 2015)

摘要

We applaud the 2015 report of Burke et al. to broaden the testing of habanero pepper powder as a potential deterrent to nest predation of turtle nests. Although we had much success in reducing nest predation rates by coyotes (Canis latrans) at loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests (LamarreDeJesus and Griffin 2013), our results were based on only 1 season of data at 1 beach location in South Carolina. We suspect that the dramatic difference in the efficacy of habanero pepper for reducing nest predation rates between our study for loggerheads and those reported by Burke et al. for diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) may be related primarily to the predators involved.