Hawksbill Sea Turtle

## Description

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata ) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Indo-Pacific subspecies—E. i. imbricata and E. i. bissa, respectively.

The hawksbill's appearance is similar to that of other marine turtles. In general, it has a flattened body shape, a protective carapace, and flipper-like limbs, adapted for swimming in the open ocean. *E. imbricata* is easily distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving beak with prominent tomium, and the saw-like appearance of its shell margins. Hawksbill shells slightly change colors, depending on water temperature. While this turtle lives part of its life in the open ocean, it spends more time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs. The World Conservation Union, primarily as a result of human fishing practices, classifies *E. imbricata* as critically endangered. Hawksbill shells were the primary source of tortoiseshell material used for decorative purposes. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulates the international trade of hawksbill sea turtles and products derived from them.

## Appearance

The Hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle The young have a heart-shaped shell. As they grow, their shells become longer. All of these turtles, except very old ones, have serrations on the lateral and hind areas of their shells. Their heads are V-shaped, which gives them the look of birds’ beaks. There are 5 features that distinguish hawksbill sea turtles from other sea turtles. There are two sets of prefrontal scales on their heads, they have two claws on their forelimbs, their shells have thick, overlapping plates on the back, and four pairs underneath, and the shape of their mouths is different. Males have brighter pigmentation, a concave chest area, a thicker tail, and long claws.

## Distribution

Hawksbill sea turtles live mainly in the tropical coral reefs of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. They are usually seen resting in caves and ledges in and around these reefs throughout the day. As a highly migratory species, they inhabit a wide range of habitats, from the open ocean to lagoons and even mangrove swamps in estuaries.

## Behavior

Typically diurnal (except during the mating season), solitary hawksbills comb the continental shelves and reefs searching for food. They spend most of their life in the water foraging, resting, and cleaning, and come ashore only for laying eggs. They mainly stay close to shorelines, where coral reefs with sponges are found, and not far from tropical beaches that are their nesting sites. Like other sea turtles, the hawksbill sea turtle makes incredible migrations when moving from feeding sites to areas where they nest.

## Diet

Hawksbill sea turtles are omnivores and feed mainly on sponges. They will also eat sea invertebrates, such as sea jellies, mollusks, fish, crustaceans, marine algae, and other sea animals and plants. They like to feed in shallow shoals which have lots of brown algae.

## Reproduction

Hawksbill turtles are generally monogamous and during the season they don't tend to re-mate. The female makes the decision who to mate with. It is believed that turtles will mate with the same turtle each season, but this has not been proved. Nesting usually takes place between July and October. At the time to lay eggs, the female makes her way to the site on the beach. This process usually happens 3 times during each mating season, within 15 days of each other. The eggs are placed in clutches of 100 to 140 at a time, then the female covers the eggs up. The hatchlings emerge in about 2 months, after taking several days to dig themselves out. They then head to the water. Hawksbills are able to mate from the age of 3 to 10 years old.

## Population

### Population threats

A major threat to this animal is the illegal trade in much sought-after tortoiseshell, which has been used for centuries for jewelry and ornaments. There is also a large market for their meat and eggs, as well as stuffed young turtles as exotic gifts. They are also threatened by harvests for traditional customs, accidental tangling in fishing lines, the loss of nesting sites, and the degradation of coral reef systems, which are their feeding grounds. Climate change is a further threat. Ocean levels have risen and are predicted to rise even more in the future. This can lead to increased erosion of beaches and further degradation, which could wash nests away and decrease the nesting habitat.

### Population number

According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy resource the total population size of nesting Hawksbill sea turtles is around 20,000-23,000 individuals. Overall, currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

### Ecological niche

Hawksbills help with maintaining the health of the coral reefs by removing prey such as sponges off the reef's surface, thus enabling better feeding access for reef fish.

## References

https://animalia.bio/hawksbill-sea-turtle