hawksbill

n (Animals) a small tropical turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, with a hooked beaklike mouth: a source of tortoiseshell: family Chelonidae. Also called: hawkbill or tortoiseshell turtle

hawks′bill tur′tle

(ˈhɔksˌbɪl)
n. a sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, the shell of which is the source of tortoise shell. Also called hawks′bill`.

Thesaurus

Noun

hawksbill turtle - pugnacious tropical sea turtle with a hawk-like beak; source of food and the best tortoiseshellEretmochelys imbricata, hawkbill, hawksbill, tortoiseshell turtlemarine turtle, sea turtle - any of various large turtles with limbs modified into flippers; widely distributed in warm seasEretmochelys, genus Eretmochelys - hawksbills

Translations

carey

Hawksbill Turtle

(Eretmochelys imbricata), a reptile of the family Chelonidae. The length of the shell is up to 85 cm. The dorsal shield is dark brown or chestnut colored with a yellow or rose design of spots and rays; the ventral shield is yellow.

The hawksbill turtle is found in all tropical and subtropical seas. It feeds on mollusks and fish, and partly on water plants. It leaves the water only during reproduction. Each year the female hawksbill turtles deposit more than 100 eggs on low sandy banks. The development lasts approximately 60 days. The horny shields which cover the hawksbill turtle’s shell (known as tortoiseshell) are highly valued and have long been an object of commerce. Hawksbill turtles are caught on the shore during reproduction, often before they can deposit their eggs. As a result of increased annihilation, the number of hawksbill turtles has decreased sharply. The flesh is not used as food.

hawksbill turtle