Eretmochelys i. imbricata

Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Florida distribution: found in the coastal waters around the state, there are only a few records of it nesting in Florida.

Identification: up to 90 cm. Two pairs of prefrontal scales on head. Scutes on carapace overlap. Four costal scutes and the first does not touch the nuchal.

All sea turtles are Federally protected. This protection covers the turtles, their eggs, and remains. If you find a distressed or dead turtle you can report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission  1-888-404-3922.

Tortoiseshell pattern on carapace. You can see the 4 costals and that the first one doesn't touch the nuchal scute.

Here you can see the two pairs of prefrontal scales and the hawk-like beak..

This is a great illustration of the overlapping scutes.