Hawksbill Turtles have a parrot-like beak. Adults have an olive-green or brown carapace with reddish-brown, brown or black markings in a tortoiseshell pattern. The carapace is highly domed and heart shaped with imbricate scale and is cream to yellowish underneath. Adult females weigh 50 kg and have a mean curved carapace length of approximately 82 cm.
Hawksbill Turtle |
Eretmochelys imbricata
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Species Profile and Threats Database, Eretmochelys imbricata
Potential threats include climate change; chance disasters (e.g. oil spills) and feral predator invasions (DEH 2005a Environment Australia 2003ai).
Beaches are heated by clearing of coastal forest; importing heat absorbing sand for ‘beach nourishment’ in tourist areas; and global climate change.
Climate change scenarios predict reduced nesting habitat for sea turtles through rising sea levels and increased storm erosion.
Changing ocean circulation may disrupt the ocean going phase of juvenile sea turtles; and the predicted increased coral bleaching and burning of seagrass habitats will reduce their food resources (DEH 2005b).
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