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Vital Facts about Hawksbill Sea Turtles
[Sea Turtle Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Reptilia] [Order: Testudines] [Superfamily: Chelonioidea]
Because some of these large marine reptiles prefer to live in warm waters they have fallen victim to environmental changes to the point where extinction is now a real threat.
This guide contains vital information about the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), including where they still exist, what they eat, and how they reproduce.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle Habitat & Distribution
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species includes the sea turtle with a mouth that looks like a hawk's beak.
You can find them in tropical and subtropical oceans around the world.
But, the hawksbill turtles are most abundant at shallow coral reefs and rocky coastal intertidal areas, especially:
- Indian Ocean (e.g. coastal waters of East Africa and Southeast Asia).
- The Pacific Ocean (including Papua New Guinea and Hawaii).
- Western Atlantic Ocean (e.g. the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico).
Excluding the polar regions, some populations of marine turtles still exist in all oceans. However, the only place to find the flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) is the northern coast of Australia.
Plus, you will only find the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) along the East Coast of the United States and in some regions of the Gulf of Mexico.
Here's the thing:
The seven sea turtle species spend the first few years of their life floating in open water near seaweed mats. So for example, green turtles (Chelonia mydas) tend to live near brown macroalgae Sargassum mats, mainly for plentiful food supplies and shelter.
But, upon reaching adulthood, these gigantic marine reptiles migrate and settle closer to coastal shorelines. As a consequence, the sandy spawning beaches are the places where females go to lay eggs when the nesting season arrives.
Fun Fact: The marine turtle species actually lived alongside dinosaurs over 100 million years ago. Still, a current estimate suggests only one (1) out of every one thousand (1,000) hatchlings will reach adulthood.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle Characteristics
One of the most distinctive features of the hawksbill sea turtle appearance is the overlapping scutes (shell scales) that create a serrated edge to the carapace.
Having a narrow, pointed beak (like a hawk) means they can feed on sea sponges and a variety of small marine invertebrates.
Even though the males in all seven sea turtle types are the same size as the females, a number of key factors in sea turtle anatomy help to differentiate the genders in adults.
Upon reaching adulthood, hawksbill sea turtles can grow up to one (1) metre long (3 feet) and weigh more than 45 kilograms (100 pounds).
Around fifty (50) bony plates fuse together to form the turtle's green and brown shell (e.g. the upper carapace).
But, even though it's not a typical exoskeleton, having bones on the outside helps to protect their internal organs.
Hawksbill turtles have two claws on each of the front flippers.
The spindle-like, streamlined fusiform shape reduces volume, friction, and drag to aid smooth swimming.
But, unlike land turtles and tortoises, sea turtles are unable to protect themselves by retracting the head and limbs into the shell.
Fun Fact: The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the heaviest of all sea turtles and can weigh up to five hundred (500) kilograms (over 1,000 pounds).
What Do Hawksbill Turtles Eat?
Not having any teeth means marine turtles need to use their beak-like mouth to grab their favourite food, usually seaweed, algae, sea anemones (Actiniaria), and jellyfishes (cnidarians).
Even though some species focus on certain types of prey, and the diet tends to change as some get older, most of the omnivorous feeders are also known to eat:
- Decapods (aquatic crustaceans)
- Echinoderms (e.g. sea urchins)
- Marine mollusks
- Sea sponges (Metazoans)
- Soft corals (Alcyonacea)
How Do Sea Turtles Reproduce?
When baby sea turtles reach maturity, from the age of ten, they reproduce through a process that starts off in the ocean but will end on a sandy beach.
Mating in the Ocean
By and large, turtles mate in a shallow coastal area sometime between spring and summer. Their mating process actually occurs in water, so the male will use its claws and tail to grasp the female.
However, because the females are able to store sperm from more than one male, they can use it to fertilise their eggs over several nesting events.
Nesting on a Natal Beach
The nesting takes place on the same beach where the female first started life and occurs every two to three years.
During the cover of darkness, she will crawl onto the sand and dig a large hole with her flippers. After laying up to two hundred (200) eggs, they will start to hatch after several weeks of incubation (up to 70 days) depending on the air temperature.
Hatching and Survival Rates
Despite emerging under the cover of darkness, and guided only by the moonlight, the hatchlings scurry their way toward the ocean.
Threats and Predators
A variety of environmental threats, including their natural predators (sharks and groupers), means only a handful will survive and get a chance to expand the population.
Pro Tip: In June 2008, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessed the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and cited them as being "Critically Endangered" with the current population trend still "Decreasing".
Related Information and Help Guides
- Fun Facts about Marine Turtles (Testudines) with Pictures
- Flatback Sea Turtle Facts and Information with Pictures
- Sea Turtle Anatomy Facts: What are the Body Parts of Turtles?
- How Can Humans Help Save Sea Turtles from Extinction?
Note: The short video [3:45 seconds] presented by "National Geographic" contains more sea turtle facts and information.