Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae

Listing Status:   

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.

Lead Region:  Southeast Region (Region 4)
Date Listed: Jun 2, 1970

  • States/US Territories in which the Hawksbill sea turtle is known 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 , Puerto Rico , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Texas , Virgin Islands , Virginia
  • USFWS Refuges in which the Hawksbill sea turtle is known to occur:  ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , ARCHIE CARR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , BAKER ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE  ... Show All Refuges
  • Countries in which the the Hawksbill sea turtle is known to occur:  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 , 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 , Oman , Palau , Panama , Papua New Guinea , Philippines , 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 , Vanuatu , Venezuela , Vietnam , Yemen
  • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/northflorida

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 5 of 8 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
03/23/1999 64 FR 14051 14077 (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule
09/02/1998 63 FR 46693 46701 Designated Critical Habitat; Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles
06/29/1987 52 FR 24244 24262 NOAA--Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements; 52 FR 24244- 24262
06/24/1982 47 FR 27295 27298 ETWP; Determination of Critical Habitat for Hawksbill Sea Turtle in Puerto Rico
10/22/1980 45 FR 70198 70201 ETWP; Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for Hawksbill Sea Turtle in Puerto Rico
Most Recent Special Rule Publications (Showing 2 of 2 )
Date Citation Page Title
03/23/1999 64 FR 14051 14077 (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule
06/29/1987 52 FR 24244 24262 NOAA--Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements; 52 FR 24244- 24262

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
01/12/1998 Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the Hawksbill Turtle View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
12/15/1993 Recovery Plan for the Hawksbill Turtle in the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
Five Year Review
Date Title
08/23/2007 Hawksbill sea turtle 5-yr review

» Critical Habitat

Current Critical Habitat Documents (Showing 5 of 5 )
Date Citation Page Title Document Type Status
03/23/1999 64 FR 14051 14077 (NOAA/NMFS) Endangered and Threatened Species; Regulations Consolidation; Final Rule Final Rule Active
09/02/1998 63 FR 46693 46701 Designated Critical Habitat; Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles Final Rule Not Required
06/24/1982 47 FR 27295 27298 ETWP; Determination of Critical Habitat for Hawksbill Sea Turtle in Puerto Rico Final Rule Not Required
10/22/1980 45 FR 70198 70201 ETWP; Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for Hawksbill Sea Turtle in Puerto Rico Proposed Rule Not Required
05/24/1978 43 FR 22224 22225 Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for the Hawksbill Sea Turtle Proposed Rule Not Required

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

» Conservation Plans

Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) (learn more) (Showing 5 of 7 : view all)
HCP Plan Summaries
Culebra Northshore
Indian River County Sea Turtle
Palmas del Mar Resort
Sage Development Amendment #1
St. Johns County Government

» Petitions

No petition findings have been published for the Hawksbill sea turtle.

» 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.

Last updated: November 22, 2009