Hawksbill Turtle Research
Description:
-Juveniles are black or very dark brown with light brown or yellow coloration on the edge of the shell, limbs, and raised ridges of the carapace
-adults more commonly average about 2½ feet in length (<1 m)
-shell is thin
-flexible
-highly colored with elaborate patterns
-thick & posteriorly overlapping scutes on the carapace
-narrow pointed beak reminiscent of a bird of prey
-four pairs of costal scutes
-weighing 40-60 kg
-streaked and marbled with amber, yellow or brown
Habitat
-uses different habitats at different stages of their life cycle
-shelter in weedlines around convergence zones
-post hatching hawksbills are pelagic (sea floor)
-sargassum and floating debris such as Styrofoam, tar balls, and plastic bits serve as a habitat for Hawksbill
-when they reach about 20-25 cm carapace length Hawksbills reenter coastal waters
-ledges and caves of reef systems provide these turtles with shelter for resting
-can be found rocky areas, coral reefs, shallow coastal areas, lagoons or oceanic islands, and narrow creeks and passes
-seldom seen in water deeper than 65 feet
-Adult females are able to climb over reefs and rocks to nest in beach vegetation
Reproduction
-6 month nesting season (longer than that of other sea turtles)
-nest on average 4.5 times a season and intervals of about 14 days
-Eggs are about 40 mm in diameter and take about 60 days to hatch
-sex determination is likely temperature-dependent
Diet
-adapted for getting food from crevices in coral reefs
-sponges, tunicates, shrimps, and squids
Reference
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