Did you know that the sex of a crocodile is determined by the temperature of the egg it hatches from?

In crocodiles, the sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature of the eggs during the incubation period, a phenomenon known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). In many crocodile species, a low incubation temperature (around below 30°C) leads to the development of females, while a higher temperature (around 31-34°C) usually results in males. Temperatures above or below this ideal range can again lead to females or even endanger the embryos’ survival. This mechanism is crucial for the population dynamics of crocodiles, and changes in climate can therefore also affect the sex ratios in wild populations.

The sex of some turtles and lizards is also dependent on the temperature of the egg.

The photo accompanying this article is created by Nicolas Smith via flickr.com