Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Taxonomy:
View taxonomy in ITISListing Status: Endangered
Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are joint lead Federal agencies responsible for managing this species; the FWS manages the species on land, while NMFS manages the species in water. The information on this page displays mostly FWS data; for additional information on this species, including NMFS regulatory actions such as critical habitat designation or recovery planning, please visit the National Marine Fisheries website (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species-directory/threatened-endangered).
General Information
The endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle is one of seven species of sea turtles found throughout the world. One of the smaller sea turtles, it has overlapping scutes (plates) that are thicker than those of other sea turtles. This protects them from being battered against sharp coral and rocks during storm events. 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.The species historical range included Alabama, American Samoa, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands. See below for information about where the species is known or believed to occur.
» Range Information
Current Range
Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America. The species may also occur outside this region.
Wherever found
Listing status: Endangered
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Alabama, American Samoa, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur: Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge ...Show All Refuges
- Countries in which this population is known to occur: American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Southern Territories, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United States, U.S. Pacific Outlying Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen
» Candidate Information
No Candidate information available for this species.
No Candidate Assessments available for this species.
No Candidate Notice of Review Documents currently available for this species.
No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.
» Federal Register Documents
» Species Status Assessments (SSAs)
No Species Status Assessments (SSA's) are currently available for this species.
» Conservation Plans
» Petitions
No Petitions currently available for this species.
» Biological Opinions
To see all FWS Issued Biological Opinions please visit the BO Report.
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports-- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports-- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video." +
