The Hawksbill Turtle
The Hawksbill Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
Shane Stoughton
GS 108 Oceanography
Suzanne Bannan
September 05, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Sea turtles were making their appearance about 65 million years ago, also the time that dinosaurs were being wiped out. These magnificent creatures did not succumb to extinction like their dinosaur counterparts primarily because they were submerged beneath the ocean when the asteroids struck Earth. This is one of main reasons I chose the specific sea turtle The Hawksbill Turtle. The scientific name of The Hawksbill turtle is eretmochelys imbricata. This sea turtle gets its name from its hooked beak formed by its yellowish jaws. The Hawksbill Turtle is one of nature’s longest surviving creatures. This fact sparks the interest of many people into wanting to learn more about sea turtles. One unfortunate fact of life for this turtle is that they have always been creatures of high demand with their shells prized for their use in jewelry and beads and their bodies for meat. As with other sea turtles, one of the best ways to monitor the status of populations is to survey nesting beaches over many years. However, because hawksbills usually nest in small numbers and often on remote beaches, it is very difficult to estimate the population size. Like many sea turtles, hawksbills are a critically endangered species due mostly to human impact. Hawksbill eggs are still eaten around the world despite the turtle’s international protected status, and they are often killed for their flesh and their stunning shells. (NatGeo 2012) The decline of this species is primarily due to human exploitation for tortoiseshell. While the legal hawksbill shell trade ended when Japan agreed to stop importing shell in 1993, a significant illegal trade continues. Other threats include loss or degradation of nesting habitat from coastal development and beach armoring; disorientation of hatchlings by beachfront lighting; nest predation by native and
Eretmochelys imbricata
Shane Stoughton
GS 108 Oceanography
Suzanne Bannan
September 05, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Sea turtles were making their appearance about 65 million years ago, also the time that dinosaurs were being wiped out. These magnificent creatures did not succumb to extinction like their dinosaur counterparts primarily because they were submerged beneath the ocean when the asteroids struck Earth. This is one of main reasons I chose the specific sea turtle The Hawksbill Turtle. The scientific name of The Hawksbill turtle is eretmochelys imbricata. This sea turtle gets its name from its hooked beak formed by its yellowish jaws. The Hawksbill Turtle is one of nature’s longest surviving creatures. This fact sparks the interest of many people into wanting to learn more about sea turtles. One unfortunate fact of life for this turtle is that they have always been creatures of high demand with their shells prized for their use in jewelry and beads and their bodies for meat. As with other sea turtles, one of the best ways to monitor the status of populations is to survey nesting beaches over many years. However, because hawksbills usually nest in small numbers and often on remote beaches, it is very difficult to estimate the population size. Like many sea turtles, hawksbills are a critically endangered species due mostly to human impact. Hawksbill eggs are still eaten around the world despite the turtle’s international protected status, and they are often killed for their flesh and their stunning shells. (NatGeo 2012) The decline of this species is primarily due to human exploitation for tortoiseshell. While the legal hawksbill shell trade ended when Japan agreed to stop importing shell in 1993, a significant illegal trade continues. Other threats include loss or degradation of nesting habitat from coastal development and beach armoring; disorientation of hatchlings by beachfront lighting; nest predation by native and
Cited: http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/Hawksbill-Sea-Turtle.htm "The Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)." The Hawksbill Turtle. Web. 22 Aug. 2012. <http://www.turtles.org/hawksd.htm>. "Hawksbill Sea Turtle." National Geographic. Web. 22 Aug. 2012. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/hawksbill-turtle/>. "Hawksbill Sea Turtles, Eretmochelys Imbricata." At MarineBio.org. Web. 22 Aug. 2012. <http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=164>. "Hawksbill Sea Turtle." : Size, Color, Distribution, Feeding. Web. 22 Aug. 2012. <http://www.allthesea.com/Hawksbill-Sea-Turtle.html>. "Biodiversity." Eretmochelys Imbricata — Hawksbill Turtle. Web. 22 Aug. 2012. <http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1766>.