Hawksbill Sea Turtle by Chong Shin

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Characteristics: The hawksbill is a medium-sized sea turtle. It usually weighs up to 270 pounds and grows up to a length of 3 ft. Hawksbill turtles start off as hatchlings weighing 1/2 an ounce. Hawksbill turtles are well known for their beautiful shell often referred to as "tortoise shell". Although the color of the shell varies from one geographical location to another, it is predominantly mottled brown with dark and light spots and streaks. The hawksbill sea turtle's underside is lighter yellow or white. This countershading helps camouflage the turtle from potential predators.

A day in the life: I wake up from hunger. I search the beach for food. I end up eating garbage left behing humans. A predator approaches, attracted to my shell. It's a human and it want my shell. I try to escape but eventually get captured.

Adaptation: The hard plates on the forehead and the very hard shell with overlapping plates give the turtle very good protection against predators.

Habitat: Hawksbill distribution is centered around tropical reef areas in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In the United States, nesting has been documented only in Hawaii and southern Florida. Fewer than 30 nesting hawksbill turtles exist in the Hawaiian Islands today, with primary nesting sites occurring around the island of Hawaii, and other nesting sites on the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Oahu.

FEEDING:
Juvenile, subadult and adult hawksbill turtles are omnivorous scavengers, feeding primarily on sponges found on the solid substrate of coral reefs. Analysis of stomach contents has also turned up sea anemones and assorted invertebrates. Unfortunately styrofoam and plastics have also been mistaken for food. The hawksbill's narrow, sharp beak is an excellent tool for foraging among coral crevices. The ledges and caves of reefs can also provide resting areas for the turtles throughout the day and night. Very little information is known about the migration of the Hawksbill sea turtle.

Reproduction:Matinng usually occurrs on surface in shallow water near nesting beaches. Males will use their claws and tail to hold on the the females' shell. Copulatoin can take up to several hours.

Current issues: The hawksbill sea turtle is an endangered species due to its shell which can be used for jewelry. Just recently, the Costa Rican sea turtle network confiscated more than 2700 hawksbill jewelry. The network is trying to warn artisans from using hawksbill turtles as resources for their merchandise.

Link: http://www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=117

Bibliography: Pacific Whale Foundation. " Hawksbill Sea turtle". http://www.pacificwhale.org/childrens/fshawksbill.html 2/8/05