The hawksbill turtle is found throughout the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Its diet consists mainly of sponges that live on coral reefs.
Today, the loss of coral reef habitats worldwide is the main threat to the hawksbill turtle.
Habitat of the hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill turtle usually nests in small numbers, often on remote beaches, so it is difficult to estimate population trends.
The largest populations of hawksbill turtles are found in the Caribbean, the Republic of Seychelles, Indonesia and Australia.
Each year, approximately 500 to 1,000 hawksbill turtle nests are laid on Mona Island, Puerto Rico and another 100 to 150 nests at the Buck Island Reef Memorial off St.
Croix.
Nesting to a lesser extent on other beaches on St. Croix and on islands such as St. John, St.
In addition to beach nesting on the American islands, the hawksbill turtle nests in many other locations in the Caribbean where the majority of nesting occurs in Mexico and Cuba, in Mexico
the hawksbill turtle nests in Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, and in the continental United States nesting is rare and limited On the southeast coast of Florida and the Florida Keys, no nesting occurs on the west coast of the United States.
In the Pacific, the hawksbill turtle nests in areas of US jurisdiction primarily in Hawaii where 20-25 females may nest annually on beaches along the southern coast of
the island of Hawaii, and hawksbill turtle nesting also occurs sporadically in American Samoa and Guam although not No nesting has been documented in these areas
for more than a decade, and in the eastern Pacific it is estimated that 300 females nest annually from Mexico to Peru.
The largest nesting population of hawksbill turtle is believed to be found in Australia and the Solomon Islands. Approximately 2,000 hawksbill turtles are found on the northwest coast of
Australia and 6,000 to 8,000 nest near the Great Barrier Reef each year. About 2,000 hawksbill turtles nest each year. One year in Indonesia and 1000 in
the Republic of Seychelles, the largest flock of hawksbill turtles is located in the South Pacific Ocean in the Arnavun Islands of the Solomon Islands
Hawksbill turtle behavior and diet
The hawksbill turtle has a mixed migration strategy. Some migrate long distances between nesting beaches and foraging areas, which are similar to green turtles and loggerhead turtles.
In the Atlantic, the female hawksbill turtle chooses the coral reefs of Buck Island in the US Virgin Islands, 1,160 miles to the Miskito Cays.
in Nicaragua.
Solomon Island hawksbill turtles can travel 500 to 1,000 miles (800-1,650 km) between the Arnavun nesting beaches and foraging grounds off Australia. However, other hawksbill turtle populations
will stay close to their flock. For example, hawksbill turtles travel Hawaiian hawksbill ranges from 50 to 200 miles between nesting and foraging sites.
Hawksbill turtle is often found near coral reefs, which is home to its favorite food, sea sponges. However, in the eastern Pacific, it is found in mangrove estuaries.
It is an omnivore and will eat molluscs, seaweed, crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish, and jellyfish.
The shape of their mouth and sharp beak enable them to reach into small holes and crevices in coral reefs to find food, and in Hawaii turtles tend to be opportunistic animals due to the lack of sponges.
Hawksbill turtle habitat
The hawksbill turtle uses different habitats at different stages of its life cycle, but is most commonly found in healthy coral reefs.
In the eastern Pacific, the hawksbill turtle also lives in mangrove estuaries.
Young turtles are believed to occupy the pelagic area (open sea) where they take shelter in mats.
Floating algae and sediment washed up from water debris, and after a few years in the pelagic area, young turtles migrate to shallow coastal feeding grounds, including their favored coral reef habitats.
The edges and caves of the coral reefs provide a shelter for the resting hawksbill turtle during the day and night, and the hawksbill turtle is known to rest in the same place night after night, and
the hawksbill turtle is also found around rock formations and high-energy shoals, which are sand bars in the shallow waters, These places are very good sites
for the growth of sponges, and turtles are also known to live in mangrove forests in bays and estuaries, especially along the eastern shore of the continents where coral reefs are absent.
The hawksbill turtle is subtropical, usually occurring from 30°N to 30°S latitude in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and associated water bodies.
The hawksbill turtle is found throughout the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean, and occurs regularly in southern Florida.
and the Gulf of Mexico (especially Texas), in the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and along the mainland of Central America south to Brazil. The hawksbill turtle does not live in the Mediterranean Sea.
In the Atlantic regions of the United States, the hawksbill turtle is most common in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In the continental United States, the hawksbill turtle is found primarily in Florida and Texas, although it is occasionally
found in both the Gulf states and on the east coast as far north as Massachusetts, Florida, hawksbill turtle lives in coral reefs off Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. Most sightings include post-hatching young, and these young turtles are thought to come from the nesting beaches of Mexico.
Hawksbill turtle reproduction
The hawksbill turtle species reaches sexual maturity between 20-35 years, depending on the nesting population. Little is known about life expectancy but it is likely to be long-lived. Female hawksbill turtles return to the beaches where they give birth every two to five years.
To nest, it usually nests high up on the beach under or in vegetation, and usually nests at night on pocket beaches, with little or no sand.
The female hawksbill turtle first removes dry sand with her front flippers, then digs a hole in the sand with her hind flippers and lays a group of eggs.
The hawksbill turtle generally lays three to five nests per season, each containing an average of 130 To 160 eggs, incubating the eggs for about two months, and the young appear at night and make their way to the sea if they are not disturbed by artificial lighting on the seashore.