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Hawksbill Turtle fact-file
Name: Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Status: Critically Endangered
Description: The only species in the genus Cheloniidae and the hawksbill turtle is similar in appearance to other marine turtles. It’s body is flattened with a protective carapace (shell) and flippers which are specially adapted arms that help it swim in the ocean. The distinguishing feature of hawksbill turtles is their sharp beak and the saw like appearance of it’s shell. Depending on water temperature the colour of the shell varies slightly and although the turtle spends some time in the open ocean the majority of time is spent in shallow lagoons and around coral reefs.
Habitat: Adults are found primarily around tropical coral reefs but being a migratory species they inhabit a wide variety of habitats from the open ocean to mangrove swamps and river estuaries.
Location: Wide ranging but found mainly in the tropical reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Length: Adults can grow up to 100cm (3.3ft)
Weight: Upto 90kg (200lb)
Lifespan: Little is known about the life expectancy but scientists belive it to be between 30-50 years.
Diet: Hawksbill turtles are omnivorous and their diet varies. They eat sea grasses and various invertebrates including jellyfish, sea urchins and sponges.
Behaviour & Social Habits: Scientists once thought that the hawksbill turtle remained in one area throughout their lives but recent research indicates they actually migrate over long distances during their lives. Typically diurnal they are usually solitary animals and search the reefs for food. It is thought that they use magnetic fields to locate their nesting grounds and use ritual mating behaviors to communicate with other individuals.
Breeding: It is thought that hawksbills don’t mature until they reach around 30 years of age. Adults usually mate every 2 to 3 years in shallow waters, and females will lay their eggs on land on beaches where, after around 60 days the eggs will hatch. After hatching the newborn turtles measuring just a few centimeters long make a dash for the ocean.
