| |
Species
of Sea Turtles |
|
| |
| Hawksbill
Turtle
(Tortuga Carey)
Eretmochelys
imbricata
Family: Cheloniidae
Status: Critically
Endangered |
aa
|
|
|
| |
Photos
By: Adrienne McCracken |
|
| |
Description |
|
| |
The
slender, somewhat flattened profile of the hawksbill gives it a streamlined
appearance. It is the only sea turtle whose costal and vertebral scutes
of the upper shell (carapace) overlap the ones behind them, much like a
shingled roof. The upper shell has a beautiful rich reddish brown or dark
brown mottling. The head is long and narrow compared to that of other kinds
of sea turtles and it has a narrow hawk-like beak, for which it was named.
Its weight rangers from 95 to 165 pounds (43-75 kilograms). |
|
| |
Habitat
and Distribution |
|
| |
 Hawksbills
are denizens of coral reefs and rocky areas, shallow costal areas and
lagoons. They are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Specimens
sometimes wash ashore dead or entangled in fishing nets, lines, or in
onion bags, along the Texas Coast. A sizeable nesting population exists
on coasts of Campeche and Yucatan, Mexico.
|
|
| |
General
Information |
|
| |
Hawksbills
feed primarily on sponges. This accounts for their close association with
coral reef and rock formations. This species nests every second or third
year. The average number of eggs per clutch is 160; several clutches per
season are produced. The hatchlings of this species, like those of other
sea turtles, may float among rafts of sargassum.
Photo
copyrighted Adrienne McCracken |
|
| |
Current
Threats and Historic Reasons for Decline |
|
| |
There
has been over-exploitation for eggs and for the highly coveted scutes of
the shell. Fingernail like material, or scutes, cover the body shell. These
beautifully colored scutes are called tortoise shell (bekko or carey), which
is highly sought after to make a variety of expensive trinkets including
earrings, bracelets, combs, jewelry boxes and even table tops. Most of the
bekko originates from Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean
Islands. |
|
| |
|
|
