Appearance and lifestyle:
Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) named for their curved beaks are small, only growing to 80 kg. Their shells are serrated and have overlapping scutes or thick bony plates. They do not nest natively in South Africa; they enter our waters as strays searching for sub-tropical feeding grounds.
Habitat:
They are found mainly in tropical oceans, usually in coral reefs.
Diet:
They hunt crabs and prawns.
Threats:
Hawksbills are critically endangered and declining, they face threats such as plastic pollution, poaching, climate change etc.
Hawksbill turtles are found mainly in tropical oceans, usually in coral reefs.
Hawksbill turtles' shells are serrated and have overlapping scutes or thick bony plates.
While young, Hawksbill turtles' carapace is heart-shaped but elongates as they mature.