Eretmochelys imbricata

Cheloniidae
Hawksbill Turtle
  • Eretmochelys imbricata, Maldives, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Eretmochelys imbricata, Maldives, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
  • Eretmochelys imbricata, Batemans Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
    Eretmochelys imbricata, Batemans Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
  • Eretmochelys imbricata, Maldives, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
    Eretmochelys imbricata, Maldives, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Distribution
Mediterranean, Temperate Africa, Temperate Australasia, Temperate northern Atlantic, Temperate northern Pacific, Temperate South America, Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean, Tropical Eastern Pacific, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Mottled olive-green upper shell with streaks on plates, low body, small head with upper jaw projecting to form parrot-like beak, four large plates along side of shell, three scales behind eye. Harvested in large numbers last century for manufacture of tortoiseshell goods.
Information
  • Max Size: 1100 cm
  • Sea Temperature Range: 15.9-30.7°C
  • Depth: 0-20m
  • Habitat: Coral Reef, Open ocean, Rocky Reef, Seagrass, Soft sediment
Rarity
  • Threats: By-catch, Climate change/warming, Exploitation, Habitat degradation
  • IUCN Threat Status: Critically Endangered
  • Occurrence: Infrequent (1% of sites)
    Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
  • Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
    Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields
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