Hawksbill sea turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle or hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is an endangered species of turtle.
| Hawksbill sea turtle | |
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| Eretmochelys imbricata | |
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| Genus: | Eretmochelys
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| Binomial name | |
| Eretmochelys imbricata | |
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| Range of the Hawksbill turtle | |
It is mostly seen in shallow lagoons and coral reefs where its food is. It is smaller than the Australian flatback turtle: it is usually a little more than two feet long. It usually weighs about 150 pounds. It has the most pointed beak among sea turtles, which is how it gets its name. The hawksbill gets food from inside coral reefs, eating sponges, shrimp, squid, and other invertebrates. The hawksbill pointy beak helps the turtle get food out of the tiny cracks and holes in which it searches.
Though they are sometimes seen in American waters, hawksbill turtles almost always nest in the warmer climates that run along the equator. Because people use the shell to make jewelry and other things, the hawksbill turtle is endangered.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle Media
Hawksbill sea turtle (top right) in a 1904 plate by Ernst Haeckel
Another model of the possible distribution of E. imbricata: Red circles represent known major nesting sites. Yellow circles are minor nesting sites.
Hawksbill sea turtle in Saba, Netherlands Antilles
A hawksbill turtle foraging on the reefs at Ilha do Fogo, Mozambique
Young E. imbricata from Réunion Island
E. imbricata in a coral reef in Venezuela
A female hawksbill turtle laying eggs on beach at Mona island, Puerto Rico
Hawksbill hatchling in Paulista, Pernambuco, Brazil
Saisie d'une tortue imbriquée, provenance de l'ile Maurice , douane d'Orly 1995
A hawksbill sea turtle in Tobago
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Wikispecies has information on: Turtle. |