Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).
Image: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2008 global assessment of Eretmochelys imbricata says Critically EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The hawksbill is a small sea turtle of tropical reefs around the world, named for its narrow, hawk-like beak. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
Hawksbills feed heavily on sponges, which shapes the make-up of the reef communities they live on.
Range & habitat
Tropical and subtropical reefs and coastal waters across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Historical and ongoing tortoiseshell trade
- Coral-reef and nesting-beach habitat loss
- Fisheries bycatch and egg collection
Why it matters
By grazing sponges, hawksbills help maintain the balance of coral-reef ecosystems; they were also hunted historically for the 'tortoiseshell' of their shells.
Gallery
A hawksbill turtle on a tropical reef.
Image: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Hawksbill Turtle
- IUCN Red List — look up Hawksbill Turtle (authoritative status)
- NOAA Fisheries
- Animal Diversity Web