Description

Hawksbills are one of the smaller species of sea turtle, growing to about 3 ft in carapace length and weigh up to 180 lbs. They have typical hard shells with unique features such as large thick, overlapping (imbricate) scutes, deeply serrated carapacial margins and a beak-like mouth. Like green turtles, hawksbills have only four costal scutes on each side of its carapace. The lustrous carapacial scutes possess a radiating figure of dark reddish-brown or black on a cream to amber background. Many hawksbills have barnacles attached to their shells. The plastron is generally a light cream to amber in color which extends to the ventral surface of head and limbs.

Distribution

Hawksbill turtles are pan-tropical in distribution. They are particularly fond of clear water coral reefs ecosystems, but may also be found in shallow rocky inland waters and mangrove-edged inlets and bays.

Habitat & Ecology

Hawksbills have an unusual diet made up of fish, gastropods, echinoderms, coelenterates, bryzoans, and in particular, sponges. Very few vertebrates out side of a few marine fishes are known to consume sponges which contain siliceous spicules that would lacerate the mucosal lining of the alimentary tract of most animals.

Reproduction

Hawksbills prefer to nest on small tropical beaches and generally deposit their eggs in a nest excavated within the beach-side vegetation zone. Only a hint of a body pit is constructed and between 100 and 200 small, ping pong-sized eggs are laid. Female hawksbills nest every three to five years and demonstrate a fair degree of nest-site fidelity. The hawksbill nesting season in Bocas del Toro extends from June to October, and peaks in August and September. In the Bocas del Toro region, hawksbill nest in all sea-side beaches but most numerously on Islas Zapatillas and Chiriqui beach.

Conservation

The hawksbill is one of the most sought after species of marine turtle world wide due to its edible flesh and beautiful carapacial scutes. Many local bocatoreños prefer to eat hawks bill to green turtle. The carapacial scutes are boiled to soften and fashioned into an assortment of jewelry (called tortoiseshell) such as rings, bracelets and pendants. Though strictly forbidden by Panamanian law, tortoise shell jewelry is readily available in Bocas del Toro and purchased by tourists and local inhabitants alike. Due to their dual use, as well as their small size, hawksbills are perhaps the most threatened marine turtle in the region. Often one encounters hawksbill tracks leading from the sea and simply ending a few yards up the beach as these small turtles are literally carried away by poachers. Several Panamanian organizations are involved with the conservation of nesting hawksbills in Bocas del Toro, including ANAM, ITEC and Promar.

Other Comments

None.

References

• Auth, D.L. 1994 Checklist and Bibliography of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Panama, Smithsonian Herptological Information Service. 98.
• Frank, N., & E. Ramus 1996 A Complete Guide to Scientific and Common Names of Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. NG Publishing, 337 pp.

Other Available References from the EMBL REPTILE DATABASE .

• LINNAEUS, C. (1766) Systema Naturae. 12th Edition: 204 pp
• Agassiz (1857) Contributions to the Natural History of the USA. vol. 1.
• Broadley etc. (1991) Syntarsus, 1: 1-70
• Cogger (2000) Rept. Amph. of Australia, 6th ed.
• Conant & Collins (1991) Field Guide Rept. Amph. E/C North America, 3rd ed.
• Cox etc. (1998) Phot. Guide Snakes Rept. Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
• Duméril & Bibron. (1835) Erpétologie Générale, Rept., Vol. 2.
• Engelmann etc. (1993) Lurche Kriechtiere Europas.
• Fritz (1995) Herpetofauna 17 (95): 19-34
• Girard (1858) United States Exploring Expedition ..., U.S.N. Vol. 20. Herpetology.
• Glaw & Vences (1994) Fieldguide Amph and Rept. Madagascar.
• Köhler (2000) Rept. Amph. Mittelamerikas, Bd 1.
• Meirte (1999) Annales Sciences Zoologiques, Musée Royal de l'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgique 284: 247 pp.
• Penyapol (1958) Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. (Bangkok) 17: 23-36
• Rüpell (1835) Neue Wirbeltiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehörig 3, Amph., p. 4, pl.2
• Smith etc. (1950) U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 199: 1-253
• Stebbins (1985) Field Guide Western Rept. and Amph., 2nd ed.
• Stejneger (1907) Bull. US. Natl. Mus., Washington, 58: xx, 1-577
• Swash etc. (2001) Birds, Mammals, Reptiles Galapagos. Pica Press, 168 pp.
• Swinhoe (1863) Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (3) 12: 219-226 .

Reference written by Dr. P. Lahanas, Institute for Tropical Ecology & Conservation Page last updated 14 May, 2003 Comments or Corrections: HerpsofPanamaITEC-edu.org Copyright © 1999-2003