HawksbillHawksbill

Sea TurtleSea Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata

www.imms.org

REMEMBER

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) is a

non-profit organization established in 1984 for the pur-

pose of public education, conservation, and research of

marine mammals and sea turtles in the wild and under

human care. Located in Gulfport, MS, IMMS has been

an active participant in the National Stranding Network

since its inception. IMMS is the premiere organization

in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama sub-region of

the Gulf Coast with the capability and experience to

care for sick and injured marine mammals and sea tur-

tles. Additionally, IMMS promotes public awareness

of marine conservation issues through its involvement

in the community.

Institute for Marine Mammal Studies P.O. Box 207, Gulfport, MS 39502

Phone 228-896-9182 Fax: 228-896-9183 Email: contactus@imms.org

Website: www.imms.org

Distribution The hawksbill sea turtle is circumtropical meaning it is

found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic,

Indian, and Pacific Oceans

Entanglement

The hawksbill sea turtle feeds in the same habitat

favored by shrimpers and they can be accidentally

caught in nets. Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) have

been created to prevent the unfortunate incidents but

shrimpers are not entirely in favor of a device that

allows a portion of their shrimp to escape.

Why is Marine Litter Harmful to Sea Turtles?

Sea turtles sometimes ingest foreign objects and

debris mistaking them for food, such as when

plastic bags are mistaken for jellies and the turtles

eat the bags. Unfortunately, the turtles are unable to

digest such material which usually results in the

death of the turtle. This is why feeding a sea turtle is

illegal under the Endangered Species Act. A person

may be fined “up to” $50,000 plus imprisonment.

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Prepared by C. Parker 2010 & M. Mashburn 2012

The hawksbill sea turtle has an elongated oval shell

with overlapping scutes exclusive to this turtle.

The carapace has a “tortoiseshell” coloring, ranging

from dark brown to golden brown, with streaks of

orange, red, and/or black.

This sea turtle is unique because it has two pairs of

prefrontal scales on the top of the head.

Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Cheloniidae

Genus: Eretmochelys

Species: imbricata

The Basics

This brochure is funded with qualified

outer continental shelf oil and gas revenues

by the Coastal Impact Assistance Program,

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,

Regulation, and Enforcement, U.S.

Department of the Interior.

Anatomy of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Diet of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Reproduction

References:

Northeast Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Protection Guidelines for

Recreational Boaters & Fisherman by NOAA

The Seaside Naturalist by Deborah A. Coulombe

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/

www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/

www.nps.gov

Carapace-the dorsal

side of the turtle or

the top shell.

Plastron-the ventral

side of the turtle or

the bottom shell.

Scutes-the horn-like

plates of shell materi-

al covering the bony

carapace of the sea

Of the 40,000 known species of vertebrates about 14

percent are reptiles and only a few reptiles live in sea

water. Along the

Gulf of Mexico

coastline, there

are American

alligators and five

of the seven spe-

cies of sea turtles.

These cold-

blooded, air-

breathing reptiles

have been in ex-

istence for over

180 million years. Today, all species of sea turtle are

either threatened or endangered. The hawksbill sea turtle

is endangered throughout its range including the United

States. This species of sea turtle can reach three feet in

length and weighs between 100-150 pounds.

The hawksbill sea turtle feeds primarily on sponges, but

it also feeds on marine plants, jellies, and fish.

The hawksbill sea turtle is suspected to reach

sexual maturity around 30 years but the exact age

is still unknown. Unlike the Kemp’s ridley sea

turtle, the hawksbill sea turtle prefers to nest alone

in highly vegetated beaches with little to no sand.

The females return to their natal beaches (the beaches

were they were born) every two to three years to nest.

The eggs laid by a female are known as a “clutch.”

They lay their eggs at night every 14-16 days. A female

lays between three to five clutches per nesting season.

Each clutch contains an average of 130 eggs. The eggs

normally take about 60 days to incubate.

Did You Know?

The shell of this turtle was once the source of

tortoise shell jewelry.

Unlike other species of turtle, the hawksbill is

not considered edible and in certain cases

may be poisonous.

The hawksbill sea turtle was named for its

beak-like jaw that resembles that of a hawk’s

bill.