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](https://www.theturtlemanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Turtle-Hawksbill.jpg)
![Turtle---Hawksbill](https://www.theturtlemanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Turtle-Hawksbill-1.jpg)
![Turtle-Hawksbill](https://www.theturtlemanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Turtle-Hawksbill-2.jpg)
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Eretmochelys Imbricata
STATUS
Critically Endangered
DISTRIBUTION
- Circumglobal.
- Nesting areas in tropics.
- Non-nesting range is generally restricted to tropical regions, although during immature stages it extends to sub-tropical regions.
SIZE
ADULT
- Length 2.5 – 3Ft
- Weigth 330 Pds
HATCHLING
- Length 1.2 In
- Weigth .15 oz
DIET
Large juveniles and adults predominantly eat sponges and other sessile invertebrates associated with coral reefs and rocky reefs. Add at end of sentence.
REPRODUCTION
- 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
FACTS
- 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 TURTLE FACTS
- 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.