Why hawksbill turtles are endangered

They lay their eggs under the sand or in vegetation. Hawksbills are omnivorous, consuming seagrasses , sea urchins, barnacles, small animals, and—their favorite food—sponges. In the Caribbean, as hawksbills grow, they begin exclusively feeding on only a few types of sponges, and they can eat an average of 1, pounds kilograms of sponges a year.

However, in the Indo-Pacific, hawksbills continue eating a varied diet that includes sponges, other invertebrates , and algae. Interestingly, some of the sponges and small animals that hawksbills consume are toxic. The hawksbill's body fat absorbs the toxins without making the turtle ill, but their meat is potentially poisonous to humans. This discourages, but does not stop, the harvesting of hawksbills for meat.

Like other sea turtles, hawksbill turtles are solitary for most of their lives; they meet only to mate. Every two to three years, females return to nest on the very same beaches where they themselves hatched, referred to as natal beaches.

The nesting season in most locations occurs sometime between April and November. Hawksbills nest at night, laying three to six clutches a season at two week intervals.

In Florida and the U. Caribbean, a clutch size is about eggs. The incubation period averages 60 days. After the incubation period, two-inch five-centimeter hatchlings emerge as a group. Hatchlings use the bright, open view of the night sky over the water to find their way to the sea. In contrast to all other sea turtle species, hawksbills usually nest in low densities on scattered small beaches.

By the time they reach 14 inches 35 centimeters in length, hawksbills tend to move onto reef habitat. It is hunted for its striking shell. Common Name: Hawksbill sea turtles. Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata.

Type: Reptiles. Diet: Carnivore. Size: 24 to 45 inches. Weight: to pounds. Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Critically endangered. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Decreasing. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram.

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Ocean Facts. Add comment. Hawksbill Sea Turtle. Green Sea Turtles on the other hand are particularly sought for their meat. Hawksbill Turtles can take 20 to 40 years to mature. Data on reproductive longevity in Hawksbills are limited, but becoming available with increasing numbers of intensively monitored, long-term projects on protected beaches. Hawksbill Sea Turtle Eretmochelys Imbricata Hawksbill Turtles are part of the cheloniidae family and can be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Interesting Endangered Sea Turtle Facts Sea turtles have been swimming in the oceans for much longer than humans have walked the earth.