Hawksbill sea turtle (E. imbricata)

TAXONOMY AND NAMING

Class : Reptilia
Order : Testudines
Family : Cheloniidae
Genus : Eretmochelys
species : E. imbricata
Common names :
English : Hawksbill sea turtle
Spanish : Tortuga carey
French : Tortue imbriquée

Hawksbill sea turtle (E. imbricata)©Giancarlo Lalsingh

ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY

Adult hawksbill sea turtles typically grow to 1 m (3 ft) in length, weighing around 80 kg (180 lb) on average. The heaviest hawksbill ever captured weighed 127 kg (280 lb).[4] The turtle’s shell, or carapace, has an amber background patterned with an irregular combination of light and dark streaks, with predominantly black and mottled-brown colors radiating to the sides.[5]

Several characteristics of the hawksbill sea turtle distinguish it from other sea turtle species. Its elongated, tapered head ends in a beak-like mouth (from which its common name is derived), and its beak is more sharply pronounced and hooked than others. The hawksbill’s forelimbs have two visible claws on each flipper. The hawksbill is biofluorescent and is the first reptile recorded with this characteristic. It is unknown if the effect is due to the turtle’s diet, which includes biofluorescent organisms

DISTRIBIBUTION AND LIFE HISTORY

Hawksbill sea turtles have a wide range, found predominantly in tropical reefs of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. Of all the sea turtle species, E. imbricata is the one most associated with warm tropical waters.

Their life history can be divided into three phases : namely the pelagic or aquatic phase, from hatching to about 20 cm, the benthic phase, when the immature turtles recruit to foraging areas, and the reproductive phase, when they reach sexual maturity.[38][39]

Hawksbill sea turtle (E. imbricata) geographic range©IUCN red list

THREATS

Hawksbill sea turtles are threatened due to pollution and loss of nesting areas because of coastal development. Throughout the world, they are taken by humans, though it is illegal to hunt them in many countries.[58] In some parts of the world, hawksbill sea turtles are eaten as a delicacy. Many cultures also use turtle shells for decoration. These turtles have been harvested for their beautiful shell since Egyptian times, and the material known as tortoiseshell is normally from the hawksbill.[60]

PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION STATUS

In 1996, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species listed E. imbricata as critically endangered.[67] The data given by the MTSG showed the worldwide hawksbill sea turtle population had declined by 80% in the three most recent generations. As a result, local involvement in conservation efforts has increased in the past few years.

CITES : oui_Annex I

SPAW Protocol  : oui depuis 1991_Annex II

USA Endangered Species Act : 1970

Tab 1. International convention and protection for Hawksbill sea turtles

Sea turtle national protection status in SPAW parties ©SPAW RAC

Bibliography

"Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2010. STRP Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Boulon, R. (1994). Growth Rates of Wild Juvenile Hawksbill Turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Copeia, 1994 : 3 pp 811-814
"Species Booklet : Hawksbill sea turtle". Virginia Fish and Wildlife Information Service. Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. Archived from the original on 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
"Hawksbill turtle – Eretmochelys imbricata : More information". Wildscreen. Archived from the original on 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
UNEP-WCMC. "Eretmochelys imbricata". UNEP-WCMC Species Database : CITES-Listed Species. United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre. A-301.003.003.001. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
Van Dam, R. P. ; Diez, C. E. (1997). "Diving behavior of immature hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in a Caribbean reef habitat". Coral Reefs. 16 (2) : 133–8. doi:10.1007/s003380050067. S2CID 2307103.