Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

This Critically Endangered marine turtle has been exploited for thousands of years as the sole source of commercial tortoiseshell. The beautiful carapace is generally streaked and marbled with amber, yellow or brown and often has a strongly serrated edge (5). Unlike other species, the scales (or scutes) of the carapace overlap. The narrow head and strongly hooked beak give rise to this turtle's common name (6), while the imbricate nature of the (overlapping) scutes give rise to the Latin species name of 'imbricata' (7).

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