It’s hard to find a creature more beautiful than the Hawksbill Turtle. This is a turtle whose shell is covered with patterns that resemble the feathers of a hawk. Unfortunately, the hawksbill is hunted for a variety of reasons, and in recent years, they have started to become extinct. Here are some things you should know about the endangered hawksbill turtle.
What is a hawksbill turtle?
The hawksbill turtle is one of the most charismatic of freshwater reptiles because of its striking blue-black coloring and triangular head shape. It has bright yellow, orange, and black bands encircling its shell and neck. This turtle can grow up to a whopping 30-35 inches in length! Hawksbills are marine animals that live mainly in coral reefs. Adult hawksbills feed on sponges, using their narrow, pointed beak to extract them from crevices on the reef. They also eat sea anemones and jellyfish. Sea turtles are a beautiful species that has existed on Earth for the last 100 million years and can be found in the world’s oceans. They help maintain coral reefs and seagrass habitats by feeding on their inhabitants. Hawksbills, or ‘turtles that walk’, are an endangered species of sea turtle. They maintain the health of coral reefs by removing prey, such as sponges, from the reef’s surface. This leaves more food for reef fish to feed.
The threat to the hawksbill turtle
Hawksbills are a type of sea turtle that are threatened by a number of factors, such as excessive egg collection, fishery-related mortality, pollution and coastal development. They are most threatened by wildlife trade. The beautiful carapace of the tortoise is much sought after for jewelry. They are popular throughout the tropics with their brown and yellow colors. In recent decades, China and India have also become an eager market for these tortoises. Hawksbills are also the most vulnerable turtle species to gillnets and fishing hooks. Turtles need to surface for air, so many drown once caught in a net or on a hook.
What are some ways we can help protect the hawksbill turtle?
You can help by supporting conservation organizations such as the WWF or donating via a symbolic adoption. Raising awareness and taking action are critical factors in the global community to bring change before it is too late.