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Hawksbill Sea Turtle Anatomy
The Hawksbill Sea Turtles Anatomy is diverse from other sea turtles; these turtles have unique adaptations to help them survive in their changing ecosystem. Storms on the ocean can get ruff and there are always predators out there looking for a snack. Their main differentiation from other sea turtles is the way the scutes are overlapping.
Hawksbill Skull
Unique Characteristic's
The main characteristic of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle is the "V" shaped head and how it comes to a point; the beak is a Hawks bill shape. This helps them to dig for food in coral reefs where they prefer to be. "One of the smaller sea turtles, the hawksbill sea turtle is named for its hooked, hawk-like beak"(Bennett, 2019).
Another unique characteristic is that this turtle typically has two claws on each front flipper.
Other Characteristics
My projectLooking at the top of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle the first thing you see are the 5 central scutes along the turtle's back, providing support and strength to the shell (NOAA Fisheries Photo, 2012). On either side, there are 4 protective scutes that connect to the central scutes. They have 2 small protective scutes on the side of the top of their head. The main feature and where it got its common name is the hawk bill-shaped beat it has. This turtle's skin is tough to go with the hard shell. The entire shell provides most of the turtle's protection from bumping into coral or rock and especially from predators like sharks.
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle has 2 sets of claws on both front flippers. The back flippers act as pads for swimming; they also use their front ones for swimming. There are 4 protective bridge scutes that connect the plastron and the caramel (NOAA Fisheries Photo, 2012). These turtles have 5 protective scutes on each side of their plastron.
My projectReferences -
NOAA Fisheries. (2012). Hawksbill Turtle | NOAA Fisheries. Noaa.gov. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/hawksbill-turtle
Bennett, L. (2019, September 9). Sea Turtles. Smithsonian Ocean. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/reptiles/sea-turtles
Photos of Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Genus Eretmochelys) · iNaturalist. (2023). INaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39671-Eretmochelys/browse_photos
Carey (Eretmochelys imbricata) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (2023). FWS.gov. https://fws.gov/species/carey-eretmochelys-imbricata
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