Hawksbill Turtle

• alimentaciónIt feeds mainly on sea sponges that are toxic to most other animals, and stores those toxins in its own tissues with no apparent harm.
• It is the only reptile whose diet consists mainly of sponges, which makes it a keystone in the balance of the reef.
• Even surrounded by dozens of sponge species, it selects only a handful of them: its dietary specificity is extremely fine.
• It holds the record for the largest clutch of any sea turtle, with up to 250 eggs in a single nest.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)

Habitat and environment

Tropical coral and rocky reefs, usually between 30°N and 30°S; newly hatched juveniles spend their first years in the open ocean before recruiting to coastal feeding grounds

Birth weight

13.5-19.5 g in the Caribbean

Size at birth

About 42 mm of straight carapace

Sexual maturity

Estimated at between 20 and 35-40 years; in the Caribbean it is around 25 years

Gestation / incubation

About 60 days of incubation (a documented range of 47 to 75 days), with sex determined by the temperature of the nest

Litter / clutch size

3-5 nests a season, averaging 130-140 eggs each and about 14 days apart; the females nest again every 2-3 years

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List / Meylan & Donnelly 1999 (Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3(2)); NOAA Fisheries; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Animal Diversity Web; CMS (Convención sobre Especies Migratorias); WIDECAST; Olive Ridley Project; SWOT - State of the World's Sea Turtles

Best time: The nesting season, between April and November depending on the locality