While critically endangered, The Hawksbill Turtles are the most frequently encountered turtles on our cruises, today let's learn about hawk-billed turtle or Eretmochelys imbricata...
All Sea Turtles, are cold-blooded creatures, belonging to the reptile family, just like snakes, crocodiles or dinosaurs!
All Sea Turtles, are cold-blooded creatures, belonging to the reptile family, just like snakes, crocodiles or dinosaurs!
Hawk-billed turtle, the only representative of the genus Eretmochelys, lives in the subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is therefore quite possible to cross it in the Andaman Sea, in the midst of coral reefs. In Thailand, they can be seen both in the North Andaman (Surin and Similan islands) and South Andaman.
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Hawksbill turtles are amongst the smallest of the seven species of sea turtles. They measures between 76 and 89 cm and weighs an average of 40 to 69 kg.
As a migratory species, they have a wide range of habitats, from the open ocean to lagoons and even mangroves in estuaries. In the early stages of their lives, like other young sea turtles, they live a pelagic life, staying at sea until they mature enough to settle down. |
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Hawksbill turtles and green turtles, are both commonly seen in the Andaman Sea and hard to tell them apart at first sight. Here are a few tips to differentiate them:
How to identify the Hawksbill turtle
Sea Turtle's face identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle
Hawksbill turtles have a beak, while green turtles have a round face.
The hawksbill turtle has a hooked beak
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The green turtle's beak is rounded
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Hawksbill turtle have 2 pairs of prefrontal scales
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On top of their head, Hawkbills turtles have four little square in between their eye while green turtle have two. These squares are called prefrontale scales.
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Green turtles have one pair of frontal scales
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Hawksbill turtles's nostrils are turned up
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Green turtles's nostrils are a lot more forward
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The turtle's nose is also a good differentiation factor: those of Hawksbills looks upward, on top of their beak while green turtle's nose is forward, on the front of their face. When looking at a tutle from the front you would see the green's nostrils a lot more.
Sea Turtle's Shell identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle
The carapace of the sea turtles are also a good way to tell them appart. The shape of the green turtle is rounder with squales next to each other and a soft edge, while the hawksbill turtle is more hear-shaped with squales overlapping each other and the edge is serrated, like a saw.
Green turtle's shell has a soft edge and squales do not overlap
baby hawksbill on the left VS baby green turtle on the right
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Hawksbill turtle shell has a serrated edge and squales overlap
The carapace colour doesn't help identification but this carapace is serrated, means it is a Hawksbill
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Sea Turtle's Flippers identification: Hawksbill VS Green turtle
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It is not often easy to spot but Hawksbill turtles forelimbs have two claws on each fin, while green turtles only display one. The second claw is fairly small though and hard to notice. |
Hawksbill turtles have two claws on their front flippers
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Hawksbill turtle VS Green turtle identification: belly shot
Green turtle Belly
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Hawksbill turtle belly
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If you have a photo of a turtle from bellow and you are trying to find out if it is a green or a Hawkbill turtle, the shape will be your best friend.
The Hawksbill turtle has a longer neck, and serrated carapace (looks closely in between the two back flipper) you may also see its beak!
The Hawksbill turtle has a longer neck, and serrated carapace (looks closely in between the two back flipper) you may also see its beak!
The hawksbill turtle is one of the few animals known to feed on sponges and is the only known spongivorous reptile. This diet make them very important to avoid sponges overtaking the reef.
Hawksbill turtle eating sponge on the reef
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Hawksbill turtles are omnivorous, beside sponges, they can also feed on anemones and jellyfish, mollusks or sea urchins. Most of these are toxic but do not make them ill, it is however believed that their meat is poisonous to humans.
Small reminder: Turtles do not have teeth, but a powerful jaw and a hooked beak allowing it to “tear” its prey. |
Like most sea turtles, Hawksbill live a solitary life meeting only for reproduction. This turtle mates and returns to the beach where it was born, every two or three years, to lay eggs...
The hawksbill turtle digs a hole in the sand at night where it lays more than a hundred eggs.
After about two months, these eggs will hatch. The little ones will then have to try to get back to the ocean quickly, at they risk of being eaten by birds or crabs!
Did you know? The temperature of the nest during the 60 days incubation will determine the sex of the litter! Cooler sand leads to more males hatching and vice versa.
After about two months, these eggs will hatch. The little ones will then have to try to get back to the ocean quickly, at they risk of being eaten by birds or crabs!
Did you know? The temperature of the nest during the 60 days incubation will determine the sex of the litter! Cooler sand leads to more males hatching and vice versa.
Yes ! The hawk-billed turtle is now critically endangered. They are believed to be the most endangered of the seven species of sea turtle, with only approximately 8,000 nesting females left globally. Its beautiful carapace has been used by jewellers and for home decoration for thousands of years. Ghost fishing, by catch and sea trash are also a major treat to these gorgeous animals.
It is estimated that millions of hawksbill turtles died in the 20th century due to carapace trade. Additionally, hawk-billed turtle eggs are still eaten across the globe, and turtles themselves are killed for their flesh.
It is estimated that millions of hawksbill turtles died in the 20th century due to carapace trade. Additionally, hawk-billed turtle eggs are still eaten across the globe, and turtles themselves are killed for their flesh.
Plastic bag floating in the sea...
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Not only do we destroy the reefs they feed on, but they cannot find a quiet beach to lay their eggs anymore and many sea turtles dye eating plastic.
It is estimated that one in two turtles has already eaten plastic, a plastic bag that floats in water can be easily identified as a jellyfish by the turtle but is a lot harder to digest... |
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