Hawksbill turtle

Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata
Photograph by Dr Col Limpus.

Eretmochelys imbricata

Identification: 

Medium-sized (shell up to 90 cm) with a narrow head and beak-like snout.  The shell has four large scales down either side which are thick and overlapping.

Distribution: 

Found in tropical seas of northern Australia, the central Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.

Habitat: 

Rocky and coral reefs.

Food: 

Feeds on sponges, algae and jellyfish.

Breeding: 

Lays around 130 small eggs – in Queensland, nesting occurs on the islands of the northern Great Reef and Torres Strait all year round with a peak season in January and February.

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