Hawksbill sea turtle
| Hawksbill sea turtle Temporal range:
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| Eretmochelys imbricata | |
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| Subfamily: | Cheloniinae
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| Genus: | Eretmochelys Fitzinger, 1843
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| Species: | E. imbricata
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| Binomial name | |
| Eretmochelys imbricata | |
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| Range of the Hawksbill turtle | |
The hawksbill sea turtle or hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is an endangered species of 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.[3] 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.
Description
Adults are typically 1 meter (3 ft) long, weighing up to 80 kg (180 lb) on average. Larger ones can weigh up to 127 kg (280 lb).[4] This species was originally named Testudo imbricata in 1766. It was moved to the genus Eretmochelys in 1843.
There are two known subspecies within the species Eretmochelys imbricata: Eretmochelys imbrica imbrica and Eretmochelys imbrica brissa.[3][4]
Diet
Hawksbill sea turtle is a ornivorous species that feeds mainly on sea sponges. They can also feed on small octopuses, sea snails and algae.[5]
References
- ↑ "Eretmochelys Fitzinger 1843". Fossilworks.
- ↑ Mortimer, J.A.; Donnelly, M. (IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group). (2008). "Eretmochelys imbricata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T8005A12881238. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T8005A12881238.en. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mortimer, J.A & Donnelly, M. (IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group) (2008-06-30). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Eretmochelys imbricata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "VDGIF > Wildlife > Species > hawksbill (= carey) sea turtle". www.dgif.state.va.us. Archived from the original on 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ↑ Meylan, Anne (1988-01-22). "Spongivory in Hawksbill Turtles: A Diet of Glass". Science. 239 (4838): 393–395. doi:10.1126/science.239.4838.393.