HAWKSBILL

Named for its sharp, pointed beak, the hawksbill feeds primarily on reef sponges, invertebrate organisms whose bodies contain tiny indigestible glass needles. The hawksbill has a beautiful, translucent shell, which has long been exploited for use in turtle shell jewelry. Though international trade of turtle shell has been prohibited, illegal trafficking continues.

Turtle------Hawksbill
Turtle---Hawksbill
Turtle-Hawksbill

Eretmochelys Imbricata

Critically Endangered

  • Circumglobal.
  • Nesting areas in tropics.
  • Non-nesting range is generally restricted to tropical regions, although during immature stages it extends to sub-tropical regions.

ADULT

  • Length 2.5 - 3Ft 
  • Weigth 330 Pds

  • Length 1.2 In 
  • Weigth .15 oz

Large juveniles and adults predominantly eat sponges and other sessile invertebrates associated with coral reefs and rocky reefs. Add at end of sentence.

  • Reproduce every 1-5 years
  • Lay 3-5 clutches of eggs per season
  • Lay 120-200 eggs per clutch
  • Ping-pong ball sized eggs weights approximently 1 oz
  • Incubation period is approximately 60 days long

  • Hawksbills are the only marine consumer whose diet predominantly comprises sponges, and thus play a major role in tropical, coral reef ecosystems
  • Hawksbills commonly nest within beach vegetation on secluded, low-energy beaches
  • Hawksbills in the Eastern Pacific are probably the most endangered sea turtle population in the world.

  • Hawksbill turtles are named after their pointed beaks, 
  • which resemble those of birds.
  • Hawksbill turtles are up to 45 inches (114 cm) long and
  •  weigh 110 to 150 pounds (50 to 68 kg).
  • Female hawksbill turtles return to the same nesting grounds 
  • where they were born to lay their eggs.
  • Hawksbill turtles can be found in the coastal waters of more 
  • than 108 countries.
  • Hawksbill turtles help keep reefs healthy by feeding primarily on sponges that out-compete corals.