HAWK’S BILL TURTLE

Eretmochelys imbricata is the Hawk’s bill turtle, which is readily distinguished from the other species of marine turtles by the plates on the carapace being strongly imbricate (i.e., overlapping); in very old individuals they may be juxtaposed. The jaws are peculiarly prolonged and hooked, simulating the hawk’s bill – hence its popular name, Hawk’s bill turtle. The carapace of the adult turtles is dark brown, marbled with yellow blotches while the plastron (the ventral shield) is yellow. The young are brown above and black below. This species is somewhat smaller than the green turtle. It feeds chiefly on molluscs and fishes, but marine weeds are also sometimes eaten. The breeding habits are more or less the same as those of the green turtles. The Hawk’s bill turtle is of great economic value on account of its horny shields, which yield the valuable “tortoise shell” of commerce.