The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a global distribution that is largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems.
Hawksbill sea turtle
Hawksbill sea turtle (top right) in a 1904 plate by Ernst Haeckel
Carapace's serrated margin and overlapping scutes are evident in this individual
Close-up of the hawksbill's distinctive beak
Sea turtles, sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley.
Six of the seven sea turtle species, all but the flatback, are present in U.S. waters, and are listed as endangered and/or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. All but the flatback turtle are listed as threatened with extinction globally on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The flatback turtle is found only in the waters of Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.
Sea turtle
An olive ridley sea turtle nesting on Escobilla Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico
Sea turtle sex depends on sand temperature while the egg is incubating.
A green sea turtle breaks the surface to breathe.