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Hawksbill Sea Turtle
NOAA, public domain, via iNaturalist

Turtles & tortoises

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766)

CR Critically Endangered

Names

EnglishHawksbill Sea Turtle
DutchKaretschildpad
SpanishTortuga carey
Chinese玳瑁
Sranan Tongosekrepatu (general name for the group)
Scientific nameEretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766)

About this species

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a global distribution that is largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems.

The appearance of the hawksbill is similar to that of other sea turtles. In general, it has a flattened body shape, a protective carapace, and flipper-like limbs, adapted for swimming in the open ocean. E. imbricata is easily distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving beak with prominent tomium, and the saw-like appearance of its shell margins. Hawksbill shells slightly change colors, depending on water temperature. While this turtle lives part of its life in the open ocean, it spends more time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs.

The World Conservation Union classifies E. imbricata as critically endangered, primarily as a result of human fishing practices. Hawksbill shells were the primary source of tortoiseshell material used for decorative purposes.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassTestudines
FamilyCheloniidae
GenusEretmochelys

Related species in Suriname