Hawksbill Turtle

Type: Reptile

Length: 50 cm

Weight: 80 kg

Lifespan: 50 years

Diet: sponges, jellyfish, seaplants

Description: The Hawksbill Sea Turtle gets its common name from the distinctive mouth, which resembles a bird’s beak. The shell, or carapace, is covered in large overlapping scutes, which are a distinctive brown/green/amber background with lighter brown streaks throughout. At the edge of the carapace they overlap in such a way as to form a serrated edge. The turtle has an elongated head and flippers which have two visible claws on the end. The flippers and head are covered in large green, brown or yellow scales. The average adult female weighs 50 kg and their carapace (shell) is approximately 80 cm in length

Found in: Tropical coasts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia