Hawksbill Sea Turtle

HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE

Hawksbill sea turtles are a kind of turtle which has been listed as an endangered animal since 1970. It is the most valuable of all sea turtles because of its unusual shell which people hunt mainly for jewelry. Handicrafts made of tortoise-shell appear in many ancient cultures, in places like China, Ceylon, India, Oceania, and Rome. Biologically, the Hawksbill sea turtle is a small to medium size turtle. Nesting females are about 87 cm in carapace (shell) length and weigh around 8,000 g.(8 Kg) Hatchlings are about 4.2 cm across and weight less than 20 g. The Hawksbill sea turtle has different characteristics from other sea turtles. It has 2 pairs of prefrontal scales, thick overlapping horns on the carapace, 4 pairs of coastal scutes (the bony external plate or scale on the turtle's shell), 2 claws on each flipper, and a beak-like mouth. The carapace or shell of very young turtles is heart-shaped , and gradually becomes longer with growth. The epidermal scutes that overlap the bones of the shell are the parts of the turtle that humans use to make jewelry and other articles. The shells are removed from the back of turtles through applying heat, often while the turtles are still alive. Turtles that survive such cruelty can reproduce new shells, which are low quality, and unfit for commercial use. Other predators besides humans include sharks, raccoons, skunks, opossums, mongooses, dogs, mammals, sea birds, crabs, and carnivorous fishes. The Hawksbill, which has an average life span of 30 to 50 years, lives in different habitats at different stages of it's life cycle. After a turtle hatches, it begins to live in weeded areas along the coast line. When the turtle grows to a carapace length of 20-25 cm, it enters the ocean. The turtle lives in caves and ledges of coral reef for protection. Hawksbills are also found around rocky outcrops and high shoals, which are optimum sites for sponge growth. Hawksbills feed on sponges, which are their primary source of food. Their diet also consists of jellyfish, crustaceans, sea urchins, and mollusks