although turtles are omnivorous, these prefer 

 invertebrates. Stomach samples include ectoprocts 

 of the genera Amthia and Steganoporella, a 

 hydroid probably of the genus Sertularia, evidence 

 of remains of sea urchins, and the major food 

 item appears to be the sponge, Geodia gibberosa 

 (Carr et al. 1966). Rebel (1974) lists mangrove, 

 algae, fish, barnacles, mollusks, and jellyfish as 

 hawksbill food. 



They feed on the bottom and forage close to 

 shores and reefs. Divers have observed them scrap- 

 ing and chewing at reef faces. They have also been 

 seen swimming around refuse dumped in shore 

 waters at Ascension Island (Carr and Stanyck 

 1975). 



SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



Not Known. 



Surinam June to July 



Seychelles September to November 



Ceylon — northwest coast April to May 



—southwest coast November to February 

 (Rebel 1974). 



Females nest nocturnally every 2 to 3 years 

 but several times a season at 2-week intervals. 

 Clutch size varies, but Carr et al. (1966) reported 

 an average at Tortuguero to be 160 eggs. Carr and 

 Main (1973) estimate that incubation lasts 60 days 

 and believe that one in 1,000 or 10,000 survives 

 to maturity. 



According to Ernst and Barbour (1972) 

 maturity takes from 3 to 4 years. 



Mating takes place in shallow water near the 

 nesting beaches (Pope 1939). Photographs of 

 courtship and mating are in Bustard (1973). 



NESTING OR BEDDING 



Hawkbills use a variety of beach types for 

 nesting. Carr et al (1966) stated that nearly every 

 undisturbed deep-sand beach in the tropics may 

 be visited by nesting females. 



Lund (1979) states that nesting occurs ran- 

 domly. Carr and Stanyck (1975) believe there is 

 some degree of site preparation, and Deraniyagala 

 (1939) reports incidents of females returning to 

 previous nesting sites. 



RITUAL REQUIREMENTS 



Not Known. 



OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

 REQUIREMENTS 



Not Known. 



POPULATION NUMBERS AND TRENDS 



Population estimates are not available. Carr 

 and Stanyck (1975) point out that evidence from 

 work at Tortuguero indicates a decline in popu- 

 lation from 1956 to 1970. 



REPRODUCTION 



The nesting season varies with locality: 



Bermuda April to June 



British West Indies June to October 



Costa Rica May to November 



Venezuela May to August 



Guyana August 



MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION 



Laws protect the hawksbill to varying degrees 

 in the following areas: Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto 

 Rico, Surinam, French Guiana, Ascension Island, 

 Trust Territory of the Pacific, Tahiti, Fiji Islands, 

 Kingdom of Tonp^, Australia, Sarawak, British 

 Indian Ocean and Seychelle's Islands, Israel 

 South Africa, and Europa Island (Pritchard 1969; 

 U.S. Department of Commerce 1976). 



Hawksbills are listed under Appendix 1 in the 

 Convention on International Trade in Endangered 

 Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Commercial 

 trade in the species is subject to strict regulation, 

 and both an export and import permit are neces- 

 sary for trade by participating countries. 



Marquez (1976) recommends preservation of 

 several natural reserves along the coast of Mexico. 

 Among these is Isla Contoy in Quintana Roo 

 State, a nesting beach for hawksbills. 



Carr (personal communication) recommends 

 that a ban be placed on international traffic and 

 tourist sale of tortoise shells and protection of all 

 nesting beaches. 



Pritchard (1969) suggested the following con- 

 servation activites: more research devoted to 

 studying the missing year (1st year) of the hatch- 

 lings and developing a practical means of tagging 

 hatchlings; investigating population dynamics and 

 the possibility of sustained yield management; 

 and promoting publicity concerning protection of 

 sea turtles after population stability is deter- 

 mined. 



