How Best to Protect the Nests of the Endangered Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta from Monitor Lizard Predation

Abstract

Abstract After a control program for feral foxes was instigated, the monitor lizard Varanus panoptes has become the most common predator of loggerhead turtle nests at the Wreck Rock beach nesting aggregation adjacent to Deepwater National Park in southeastern Queensland. We empirically tested the efficacy of aluminum mesh cages, plastic mesh sheets, red flags, and hot chili powder in protecting loggerhead turtle nests from monitor lizard predation across 2 nesting seasons (2014–2015 and 2015–2016). Our study indicated that plastic mesh, when applied correctly, is a relatively inexpensive and effective way to prevent monitor lizard nest predation at sea turtle nesting beaches.