Nutrition
Hawksbill turtles primarily feed on sponges, but they also consume sea jellies and sea jellies. Their diet also includes mollusks, fish, marine algae, crustaceans, and various other sea plants and animals.
At the Zoo, the sea turtle is offered squid, capelin, herring, mackerel, and produce.
Current Range and Historic Range
Found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean.
Habitat
Hawksbill sea turtles live in a variety of places like rocky areas, coral reefs, shallow coastal waters, lagoons, and around ocean islands. They usually are not seen in water deeper than 65 feet. These turtles find shelter in the ledges and caves of coral reefs, where they can rest both day and night. Hawksbills often return to the same resting spot night after night. They also like to be around rocky outcrops and strong currents, which are great places for sponge growth. Additionally, they can be found in mangrove-fringed bays and estuaries, especially on the eastern shores where there are no coral reefs.
Predators and Threats
Sharks, crocodiles, big fish, and octopuses hunt adult sea turtles. Land predators like dogs, raccoons, and rats often steal the eggs from nests. After they hatch, hawksbill turtle babies face one of the most dangerous parts of their lives: getting to the water. This quick dash only takes a few minutes, but many hatchlings are eaten by groups of gulls and large crabs during this time.
Over the last hundred years, more than 80% of the hawksbill sea turtle population has vanished. Millions of these turtles have been killed because of the tortoiseshell trade, where their shells are used to make jewelry and other items. In some areas, people collect hawksbill eggs and hunt them for their meat, which puts the turtles at risk. Additionally, building along coastlines and climate change are damaging nesting areas and disrupting the breeding cycles of hawksbill turtles. They also face dangers from getting caught in fishing gear and eating trash, both of which can lead to their deaths.
Physical Description and Adaptations
Hawksbill turtles have a long, oval-shaped shell called a carapace, with layers of scutes (or scales) on top. The sides and back of their shell have jagged edges. The shell is mostly brown with yellow, orange, or reddish-brown spots. The underside, called the plastron, is yellowish with black spots. Young hawksbill turtles have dark brown or black shells, with lighter brown or yellow along the edges and on their limbs.
They have a narrow head and beak-like jaws that help them reach into coral reefs to find food like sponges. Their long, paddle-shaped flippers help them swim; the front flippers push them through the water while the back flippers help them steer. Sometimes, the front flippers have one or two claws to help them hold onto coral, rocks, or mates.
Like other sea turtles, hawksbills have a special salt gland that helps them get rid of extra salt from their bodies. This gland makes it look like they are “crying” on land, as the salt and fluid keep their eyes clean while females dig nests.
Sea turtles often spend most of their time underwater, diving to escape predators and save energy. Being cold-blooded, they have a slow metabolism, allowing them to stay submerged for longer. During deep dives, their blood goes to the most essential organs, like the heart and brain, while less important areas get less blood. This process allows them to dive deeper for longer. Hawksbill turtles can hold their breath for about 35 to 45 minutes.
Reproduction
Hawksbill turtles mate every two to four years. A few weeks after mating, female turtles come ashore to nest, often at the same beach they hatched. To do this, a female crawls above the high tide line and uses her front flippers to dig out a spot for her body to rest. Then, she uses her hind flippers to create a nest where she lays an average of 130 eggs. After laying her eggs, she covers the nest with sand using her hind flippers. This helps in three ways: it protects the eggs from predators, keeps the soft shells moist so they do not dry out, and helps maintain the right temperature for the eggs. Studies show that the temperature of the nest determines the sex of the embryos: cooler temperatures produce more males, while warmer temperatures produce more females. The entire nesting process can take more than two hours. Once she covers the nest, the female turtle returns to the ocean.
A female turtle can store sperm from one or more males in her body. This means she can fertilize all the eggs she lays in the current season without needing to mate again. A female can lay four to six clutches of eggs each season.
The eggs typically incubate for about 60 days before hatching. The tiny hatchlings may take three to seven days to dig their way to the surface. They usually wait until night to emerge from the nest to avoid daytime predators. Once they reach the surface, they hurry to the water, where they swim to deeper waters. Hawksbill turtles reach sexual maturity after about three years.
Communication
This species communicates mainly through physical touch and body language.
Behaviors
Hawksbill sea turtles are usually solitary creatures. They also migrate long distances between their feeding areas and nesting grounds.
