Australian endangered species: Hawksbill Turtle

The Conversation

01 August 2013

The Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is one of the seven species of marine turtles and one of six in the family Cheloniidae. It is easily distinguished from other turtle species by its beak-like mouth and overlapping scales, or scutes. Harvested for centuries for their exquisitely patterned shell, some hawksbill populations now face an uncertain future.

Hawksbills, while widely distributed throughout the world’s tropical oceans, prefer warm, shallow waters and lagoons. Although hawksbills are most commonly associated with coral reef systems, they sometimes nest in mangrove-fringed islands or beaches. Like other marine turtles species, hawksbills are migratory and can swim long distances between breeding and feeding grounds. Read more