Hawksbill turtle

What is the scientific name of the hawksbill turtle?

The scientific name of the hawksbill turtle is Eretmochelys imbricata, in the family Cheloniidae. In Indonesian it is called Penyu sisik.

What kind of animal is the hawksbill turtle?

The hawksbill turtle is a marine animal in the family Cheloniidae. By diet it is a carnivore (meat-eater): a mainly a sponge-eater (spongivore).

Where does the hawksbill turtle live in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, this guide records the hawksbill turtle in: Coral-reef waters across Indonesia, especially around small islands in the Java Sea, Flores Sea, Makassar Strait and Karimata Strait.

Source-supported habitats: Coral Reefs.

What does the hawksbill turtle eat?

Diet of the hawksbill turtle (important food): marine sponges. That makes it a carnivore (meat-eater). Source: SeaLifeBase.

How does the hawksbill turtle reproduce?

The hawksbill turtle reproduces by laying eggs (oviparous). Source: Reptile Database.

Is the hawksbill turtle poisonous?

Only if eaten. Not venomous, but hawksbill meat has caused mass poisonings with deaths, including children. Source: Pavlin et al. 2015, Mass poisoning after consumption of a hawksbill turtle, Federated States of Micronesia, 2010 (Western Pac Surveill Response J).

Do not catch, handle or disturb wild animals. If bitten, stung or exposed to its toxins, go to the nearest health facility straight away.

Is the hawksbill turtle nocturnal?

The cited source records the hawksbill turtle as diurnal (active by day). A study of immature turtles at Mona reefs, Puerto Rico, associated daytime dives with feeding and night dives with rest; it is not a schedule for all Indonesian populations. Source: van Dam & Diez (1997) — Diving behaviour of immature hawksbills at Mona Island, Puerto Rico.

See also the list of nocturnal and diurnal animals in Indonesia.

What are the main features of the hawksbill turtle?

Key features of the hawksbill turtle, from this guide’s sources: Feature: pointed beak; overlapping shell scutes.

How big is the hawksbill turtle?

Carapace length: Up to about 1 m. Source: KKP — Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 (lampiran deskripsi).

What is the scientific classification of the hawksbill turtle?

Scientific classification of the hawksbill turtle: kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Reptilia, order Testudines, family Cheloniidae, genus Eretmochelys, species Eretmochelys imbricata.

Source: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, adjusted to the ranks commonly used in school biology.

Is the hawksbill turtle endangered?

Yes. On the IUCN Red List, the hawksbill turtle is listed as Critically Endangered: it is considered to face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Source: IUCN Red List (via GBIF), checked 1 October 2026.

This global category is separate from national legal protection. Is the hawksbill turtle protected in Indonesia?

Is the hawksbill turtle protected in Indonesia?

Yes. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a protected species in Indonesia under Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 on protected plant and animal species (annex, entry 702).

It is also fully protected under Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministerial Decree No. 66 of 2025 on protected fish species (first provision, entry 40).

Article 21(2) of Law No. 5 of 1990, as amended by Law No. 32 of 2024, prohibits anyone from hunting, catching, injuring, killing, storing, owning, keeping, transporting or trading a protected animal, alive or dead, including its body parts, eggs and nests.

If you see this animal being traded, kept or injured, contact the local BKSDA office.

Can the hawksbill turtle be kept as a pet?

No. Because the hawksbill turtle is a protected species, catching, owning, keeping, transporting or trading it without a permit is prohibited by law. Trading without a permit through electronic media is also prohibited.

If you see this animal for sale or being kept, report it to the local BKSDA office.