The endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is one of seven species of sea turtles found throughout the world. It is one of the smaller sea turtles. It has overlapping scutes (plates) that are thicker than those of other sea turtles which protects them from being battered against sharp coral and rocks during storm events.
We can say they are "smaller" but adults range in size from 30 to 36 inches (0.8-1.0 meters) carapace length, and weigh 100 to 200 pounds (45-90 kilograms). Its carapace (upper shell) is an attractive dark brown with faint yellow streaks and blotches and a yellow plastron (under shell). The name "hawksbill" refers to the turtle's prominent hooked beak.
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| Eritmochelys imbricata, Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Photo: Caroline S. Rogers, available through NOAA |
At the other extreme in size is the Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest, deepest diving, and most migratory and wide-ranging of all sea turtles. The adult leatherback can reach 4 to 8 feet in length and 500 to 2000 pounds in weight.
Its shell is composed of a mosaic of small bones covered by firm, rubbery skin with seven longitudinal ridges or keels. The skin is predominantly black with varying degrees of pale spotting. There is a notable pink spot on the dorsal surface of the head in adults. A toothlike cusp is located on each side of the gray upper jaw and the lower jaw is hooked anteriorly. The paddle-like clawless limbs are black with white margins and pale spotting.
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| Female Leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea, Photo by Claudia Lombard, USFWS at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, US Virgin Islands |
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