DESCRIPTION 



The hawksbill is a small sea turtle with an 

 elongated, oval shell with overlapping scutes on 

 the carapace. The head is relatively small; flippers 

 have two claws. Barnacles are often found on the 

 carapace and plastron. General coloration is 

 brovwi with numerous splashes of yellow, orange, 

 or reddish-brown on the carapace. The plastron is 

 yellowish with black spots on intergular and post- 

 anal scales. Juveniles are black or very dark brown 

 with light brown or yellow on edge of shell, limbs, 

 and raised ridges on carapace. Adults are 76 to 89 

 cm long, and weigh 43 to 75 kg. 



It is the only sea turtle with two pairs of pre- 

 frontal scales on the head and four costal plates 

 on each side of the carapace. 



Illustrated in Carr (1952, 1967), Ernst and 

 Barbour (1972), Bustard (1973), Rebel (1974), 

 and Riedman and Witham (1974). 



RANGE 



The hawksbill is scattered throughout the 

 world's tropical waters. Distribution in the Atlan- 

 tic Ocean extends from southern Brazil to Massa- 

 chusetts. 



They nest on scattered islands and shores 

 generally between 25° latitude north and south. 

 Some western hemisphere nesting sites include: 

 the tropical Gulf Coast of Mexico, West Indies, 

 Bahamas, and scattered beaches off Central and 

 South America. Continental United States nesting 

 is limited to infrequent Florida nestings. Maps of 

 prominent nesting beaches are compiled in Sur- 

 vival Service Commission (1969). 



The sea turtle's range probablyhas not changed 

 significantly, but numbers have declined consider- 

 ably. Many nesting beaches have been abandoned 

 either due to natural disaster (hurricanes, erosion, 

 etc.), alteration of habitat, or commercial use by 

 man. 



RANGE MAP 



Distribution in waters off the continental 

 United States is illustrated by shading of adjacent 

 coastal States and counties. Nesting records are 

 depicted by dots. 



STATES /COUNTIES 



Alabama: Baldwin, Mobile. 



Delaware: Sussex. 



Florida: Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, 

 Citrus, Collier, Dade, Dixie, Duval, 

 Flagler, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, 

 Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, 

 Lee, Levy, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, 

 Nassau, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pasco, 

 Pinellas, St. James, St. Lucie, Santa 

 Rosa, Sarasota, Volusia, Wakulla, 

 Walton. 



Georgia: Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, 

 Liberty, Mcintosh. 



Louisiana: Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, 

 (Parishes) Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Mary, 

 Terrebonne, Vermilion. 



Maryland: Worchester. 



Massachusetts: Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, Middle- 

 sex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth. 



Mississippi: Hancock, Harrison, Jackson. 



New Jersey: Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, 

 Ocean. 



New York: Nassau, Suffolk. 



North 



Carolina: Brunswick, Carteret, Currituck, Dare, 

 Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender. 



Rhode 



Island: Newport, Washington. 



South 



Carolina: Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, 

 Georgetown, Horry. 



Texas: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, 



Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, 

 Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, 

 Willacy. 



Virginia: Accomack, Northampton. 



HABITAT 



Hawkbills frequent rocky areas, reefs, shallow 

 coastal areas, lagoons of oceanic islands, and 

 narrow creeks and passes (Carr 1952). They are 

 generally found in water less than 20m deep. 

 Hatchlings are often found floating in masses of 

 sea plants (Pope 1939). 



FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



Work by Carr et al. (1966) demonstrates that 



