Distribution
Nesting sites of Sri Lanka includes Kataduwa, Bentota, Udappuwa, Kosgoda, Karaduwa, Talaimannar, Jaffna, Galkissa, Talawila, Palatupana, Amadhauwa. These turtles are found mainly in the tropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans & Mediterranean Sea. They are most associated with tropical waters.

Characteristics
These turtles are relatively small sea turtles. Young hawksbill turtles have a heart-shaped carapace. As these turtles mature, they have generally flattened body shape & carapaces become more elongated. The lateral and posterior areas of the carapace are serrated in all of these turtles, except very old individuals. The heads of hawksbill turtles taper into a V shape, giving them the appearance of birds' beaks. Its flipper-like arms are adapted for swimming in the open ocean.

The normal lifespan of hawksbill turtles is thought to be about 30 to 50 years. They migrate very long distances during their lifetimes.

Males
The male is more colorful. They obtain reproductive maturity in the age of 1277 days (average). Male turtles are distinguished by a brighter pigmentation, a concave plastron, long claws, and a thicker tail.

Length
These turtles measure around 62.50 to 114 cm; avg. 87 cm.

Weight
These turtles weigh around 35.70 to 127 g; avg. 80 g. The heaviest hawksbill ever captured was measured to be 127 kilograms.

Color
The turtle's shell, or carapace, has an amber background patterned with an irregular combination of light and dark streaks, with predominantly black and mottled brown colors radiating to the sides.

Habitat
They can swim to a depth of 20 m (low); avg. Near Surface (65.6 ft; avg. ft). Hawksbill turtles are most commonly found in hard-bottomed and reef habitats containing sponges & tropical coral reefs. They are usually seen resting in caves and ledges in and around these reefs, throughout the day. As a highly migratory species, they have also been encountered in a wide range of habitats, from the open ocean to lagoons and even mangrove swamps in estuaries. When these turtles are young, they are unable to dive into deep water, & live in masses of floating sea plants, such as sargassum.

Breeding
The reproductive maturity of a female occurs in 3 years. Mating occurs roughly every 2 to 3 years. Copulation usually begins in shallow water near the shore. Males lie and wait in the shallow water for the females to return. Some times, males follow the females on shore.

Nesting generally occurs between April-June & December-January. Nesting females average a length of 87 cm in curved carapace length and weigh 80 kg.  The entire nesting process takes roughly one to three hours. After mating, the females drag their heavy bodies high onto the beach during the night. Their gestation period is around 60 days (average).

They clear out an area and dig a nesting hole using their rear flippers. Next they lay their eggs and then proceed to fill in the pit in with their hind limbs. After the site is disguised, the turtles return to the sea. The females lay 3 clutches a year at an interval of roughly 13-15 days. The eggs measure 30-35mm. Sex determination is thought to be temperature-dependent. The baby turtles, usually weighing less than two dozen grams, hatch during the night after around 2 months. Around 96-177 offspring are produced without any parent involvement. They instinctually head for the sea, attracted by the reflection of the moon on the water.

Diet
They are known as Omnivore & dietary generalists. Their diet consist of fish; mollusks; aquatic or marine worms; aquatic crustaceans; echinoderms; cnidarians; other marine invertebrates. Also leaves; wood, bark, or stems; fruit; algae; macro algae

They feed primarily on sponges, some of which are toxic to other animals. The sponges that hawksbills eat are usually those with high silica content. Sea jellies and other coelenterates are also common prey items which are toxic to other animals. A preferred feeding ground of the turtles is in shallow shoals abundant with brown algae.

Due to its consumption of venomous cnidarians hawksbill turtle flesh can reach certain levels of toxicity. Hawksbills close their unprotected eyes when they feed on these cnidarians, so the jelly fish stinging cells cannot penetrate the turtles' armored heads.

Identification
Eretmochelys imbricata have 5 features that distinguish them from other sea turtles. Their heads have two pairs of prefrontal scales. They also have two claws on each of their forelimbs. There are thick, overlapping scutes on their carapaces, which also have four pairs of costal scutes. Their elongate mouths resemble a beak, that taper off to a sharp point at the end.

They are alsoeasily distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving beak & the saw-like appearance of its shell margins. Their arms have two visible claws on each flipper.

The sand tracks of hawksbill turtles are asymmetrical, as they crawl on land with an alternating gait. This is opposed to the green sea turtle and the leatherback turtle, which crawl rather symmetrically.

Human impact & dangers
For years, humans have hunted the hawksbill turtles in order to sell their scutes. Also, humans eat the turtles as well as their eggs. The eggs are also in danger from other predators such as ants, rats, crocodiles, crabs or even dogs. Small mammals have been known to raid the nesting sites and dig up the turtles' eggs.

Directly after hatching, they face the most dangerous time of their lives: the journey to water. Although this scramble only lasts a few minutes, countless hatchlings are preyed on by large crabs. The hard shell of these turtles discourages predators from trying to eat them but some times unfortunately it does not stop them from harming them.

Conservation
It is very difficult to classify how endangered hawksbill turtles are because they are found throughout the world and are migratory. In some places, they may be very scarce, and in others they may thrive.

Loggerhead is internationally protected & is put in to the Critically Endangered according to IUCN red list. It is illegal to trade hawksbill turtle products.

Ecological status
Hawksbill turtles often feed on sponges, causing succession to occur in the reef and freeing up space for settlement of other organisms.