Why Do Hawksbill Turtles And What Do They Eat?
ABOUT THEM
Hawksbill turtles are graceful saltwater reptiles, well adapted to life in their marine world. With streamlined bodies and flipper-like limbs, they are graceful swimmers able to navigate across the oceans. When they are active, Hawksbill turtles must swim to the ocean surface to breathe every few minutes. When they are resting, they can remain underwater for much longer periods of time.
The hawksbill is a smaller sea turtle with a narrow head and 2 pairs of prefrontal scales in front of its eyes. It is different than other sea turtles in that its jaw is not serrated. The hawksbill bony carapace has no ridges, but has large, overlapping scales and 4 lateral scales, and the overall carapace shape is that of an ellipse. 2 claws can be seen on every flipper. The color of carapace varies from orange, brown or yellow, while hatchlings are mostly brown with pale blotches on scales. The hawksbill turtle has a distinctive parrot-like beak.
FUN FACTS …show more content…
1.In 1975 there were the most hawksbill turtle nests.
2. Hawksbills are the most tropical of all the sea turtles.
3. Hawksbills have very colorful shells with very pretty patterns.
4. Hawksbills change their shell color due to the temperature of the water.
5. Hawksbills are one of the smaller sea turtles.
6. Milman Island Queensland, Australia is one of the biggest hawksbill populations in the world.
7. Hawksbills nest every 2-3 years.
8. The scientific name for The hawksbill turtle is Eretmochelys Imbricata.
9. Hawksbill turtles are also found throughout the tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
10. Their habitat is near coral reefs and rocky areas.
11. Their flippers have two claws on each one.
12. Hawksbills declined globally by over 80% during the last century.
13. They are mainly carnivorous.
14. They are saltwater reptiles.
15. Their jaws have a tint of yellow
16. A Hawksbill turtle swims just above the seafloor with flippers spread like wings.
17. Hawksbill turtles grow up to about 45in. and 150 pounds in weight.
18. Hawksbill turtles nest every 2-3 years.
19. Scientists put a radar on every turtles that go to the beach.
20. A hawksbill turtles jaw is not serrated.
21. A hawksbill turtles shell is very thin.
22. Hawksbill turtles eat sponges, anemones, squid, and shrimp. Because of their sponge diet, their meat is harmful to humans.
23. Sponges contain toxic chemical compounds which accumulate in the animal’s tissues. The consumption of their meat by humans may cause serious illness and in extreme cases even death.
24. Hawksbill turtles avoid deep waters, preferring coastlines where sponges are abundant and sandy nesting sites are within reach.
25. While hawksbill turtles are young, their carapace, or upper shell, is heart-shaped, and as they mature it elongates. 26. Male hawksbills have longer claws, thicker tails, and somewhat brighter coloring than females.
27. Turtles are reptiles and records show their existence during the days of the dinosaurs 200 million years ago.
What do they look like?
Hawksbill turtles are beautiful, medium- sized sea turtles. Adults are usually 30-36 inches long and weigh 100-200 pounds. Their carapace is covered in thick overlapping scales that are called scutes. The scutes are Usually amber colored and richly patterned, with radiating streaks of lighter brown and black. Hatchlings are only 1-2 inches long and mostly brown in color. The overlapping scutes are evident even in hatchlings.
How did the hawksbill get its name
The hawksbill sea turtle gets its name from its distinct beak -like mouth. A hawksbill head tapers to a point and their lower jaw is V-shaped, adding to the hawk-like resemblance.
What do they eat?
A hawksbill turtle's diet consists mainly of sponges that live on coral reefs. Their sharp, narrow beaks are used to feed on prey found in reef crevices.Because of their sponge diet their meat is harmful to humans. Sponges have toxic chemical compounds which accumulate in the turtles tissue. If their meat is eaten it may cause serious illnesses or extreme cases, even death.
Hawksbill turtles are important inhabitants of coral reefs. By consuming sponges, they play an important role in the reef community, It’s estimated that one turtle can consume over 1,000 pounds of sponge per year. Without the turtles, sponges can overgrow corals and suffocate reefs.
With a narrow head and jaws shaped like a beak, the hawksbill can get food from crevices in coral reefs. Sponges, anemones, squid and shrimp are all what they mainly feed on as part of their diet.
Sponges make up a major part of the diet of hawksbill turtles, although they also feed on seagrasses, algae, soft corals and shellfish.
Habitat
Hawksbill turtles usually live in the tropics and subtropics of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. They are most often found in coral reef habitats. It is thought that hawksbill turtles live the first years of their lives in the open ocean until they return to more coastal waters when they are older.Considered by many to be the most beautiful of sea turtles for their colorful shells, the hawksbill is found in tropical waters around the world. They spend their time in coral reefs, rocky areas, lagoons, mangroves, oceanic islands, and shallow coastal areas.The hawksbill sea turtle usually lives around coastal reefs, rocky areas, estuaries and lagoons.
Hawksbill turtles typically occur in tidal and subtidal coral and rocky reef habitats throughout tropical waters, extending into warm temperate areas as far south as northern New South Wales. In Australia the main feeding area extends along the east coast, including the Great Barrier Reef. Other feeding areas include Torres Strait and the archipelagos of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, possibly as far south as Shark Bay or beyond. Hawksbill turtles also feed at Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Hawksbill turtle carapace
4 pairs or more of large scales on either side (costal scales)
Thick overlapping carapace scales
Carapace high domed
Colour olive-green or brown, variegated with brown or black markings.
Adult carapace approximately 0.8 metres.
Hawksbill turtles are graceful saltwater reptiles, well adapted to life in their marine world. With streamlined bodies and flipper-like limbs, they are graceful swimmers able to navigate across the oceans. When they are active, Hawksbill turtles must swim to the ocean surface to breathe every few minutes. When they are resting, they can remain underwater for much longer periods of time.
The hawksbill is a smaller sea turtle with a narrow head and 2 pairs of prefrontal scales in front of its eyes. It is different than other sea turtles in that its jaw is not serrated. The hawksbill bony carapace has no ridges, but has large, overlapping scales and 4 lateral scales, and the overall carapace shape is that of an ellipse. 2 claws can be seen on every flipper. The color of carapace varies from orange, brown or yellow, while hatchlings are mostly brown with pale blotches on scales. The hawksbill turtle has a distinctive parrot-like beak.
FUN FACTS …show more content…
1.In 1975 there were the most hawksbill turtle nests.
2. Hawksbills are the most tropical of all the sea turtles.
3. Hawksbills have very colorful shells with very pretty patterns.
4. Hawksbills change their shell color due to the temperature of the water.
5. Hawksbills are one of the smaller sea turtles.
6. Milman Island Queensland, Australia is one of the biggest hawksbill populations in the world.
7. Hawksbills nest every 2-3 years.
8. The scientific name for The hawksbill turtle is Eretmochelys Imbricata.
9. Hawksbill turtles are also found throughout the tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
10. Their habitat is near coral reefs and rocky areas.
11. Their flippers have two claws on each one.
12. Hawksbills declined globally by over 80% during the last century.
13. They are mainly carnivorous.
14. They are saltwater reptiles.
15. Their jaws have a tint of yellow
16. A Hawksbill turtle swims just above the seafloor with flippers spread like wings.
17. Hawksbill turtles grow up to about 45in. and 150 pounds in weight.
18. Hawksbill turtles nest every 2-3 years.
19. Scientists put a radar on every turtles that go to the beach.
20. A hawksbill turtles jaw is not serrated.
21. A hawksbill turtles shell is very thin.
22. Hawksbill turtles eat sponges, anemones, squid, and shrimp. Because of their sponge diet, their meat is harmful to humans.
23. Sponges contain toxic chemical compounds which accumulate in the animal’s tissues. The consumption of their meat by humans may cause serious illness and in extreme cases even death.
24. Hawksbill turtles avoid deep waters, preferring coastlines where sponges are abundant and sandy nesting sites are within reach.
25. While hawksbill turtles are young, their carapace, or upper shell, is heart-shaped, and as they mature it elongates. 26. Male hawksbills have longer claws, thicker tails, and somewhat brighter coloring than females.
27. Turtles are reptiles and records show their existence during the days of the dinosaurs 200 million years ago.
What do they look like?
Hawksbill turtles are beautiful, medium- sized sea turtles. Adults are usually 30-36 inches long and weigh 100-200 pounds. Their carapace is covered in thick overlapping scales that are called scutes. The scutes are Usually amber colored and richly patterned, with radiating streaks of lighter brown and black. Hatchlings are only 1-2 inches long and mostly brown in color. The overlapping scutes are evident even in hatchlings.
How did the hawksbill get its name
The hawksbill sea turtle gets its name from its distinct beak -like mouth. A hawksbill head tapers to a point and their lower jaw is V-shaped, adding to the hawk-like resemblance.
What do they eat?
A hawksbill turtle's diet consists mainly of sponges that live on coral reefs. Their sharp, narrow beaks are used to feed on prey found in reef crevices.Because of their sponge diet their meat is harmful to humans. Sponges have toxic chemical compounds which accumulate in the turtles tissue. If their meat is eaten it may cause serious illnesses or extreme cases, even death.
Hawksbill turtles are important inhabitants of coral reefs. By consuming sponges, they play an important role in the reef community, It’s estimated that one turtle can consume over 1,000 pounds of sponge per year. Without the turtles, sponges can overgrow corals and suffocate reefs.
With a narrow head and jaws shaped like a beak, the hawksbill can get food from crevices in coral reefs. Sponges, anemones, squid and shrimp are all what they mainly feed on as part of their diet.
Sponges make up a major part of the diet of hawksbill turtles, although they also feed on seagrasses, algae, soft corals and shellfish.
Habitat
Hawksbill turtles usually live in the tropics and subtropics of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. They are most often found in coral reef habitats. It is thought that hawksbill turtles live the first years of their lives in the open ocean until they return to more coastal waters when they are older.Considered by many to be the most beautiful of sea turtles for their colorful shells, the hawksbill is found in tropical waters around the world. They spend their time in coral reefs, rocky areas, lagoons, mangroves, oceanic islands, and shallow coastal areas.The hawksbill sea turtle usually lives around coastal reefs, rocky areas, estuaries and lagoons.
Hawksbill turtles typically occur in tidal and subtidal coral and rocky reef habitats throughout tropical waters, extending into warm temperate areas as far south as northern New South Wales. In Australia the main feeding area extends along the east coast, including the Great Barrier Reef. Other feeding areas include Torres Strait and the archipelagos of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, possibly as far south as Shark Bay or beyond. Hawksbill turtles also feed at Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Hawksbill turtle carapace
4 pairs or more of large scales on either side (costal scales)
Thick overlapping carapace scales
Carapace high domed
Colour olive-green or brown, variegated with brown or black markings.
Adult carapace approximately 0.8 metres.