TURTLES

HAWKSBILL TURTLE

Eretmochelys imbricata

This is certainly an endangered species in the Mediterranean. The nesting beaches are under threat of tourist development. Often caught in trawl nets, the turtle feeds on jellyfish, sponges and some algae. It has a hawk-like beak and overlapping bony plates along its back, unlike the Green Turtle. Growing to 1.20m (4ft), the Hawksbill Turtle is more commonly seen in the western Mediterranean, where it migrates from the Atlantic. The marine museum, Aula del Mar, in Malaga cares for wounded individuals and these can be observed by the public while the turtles are in care.

GREEN TURTLE

Chelonia mydas

This turtle was once very common in central and eastern regions of the Mediterranean, but it is now more confined to the Greek islands and Turkish coasts, where there are still protected breeding beaches. However, many turtles are caught each year as a by-catch from drift netting and it is now considered endangered. This species has non-overlapping body plates, whereas the Hawksbill has overlapping body plates, and it is smaller at up to 1m (3ft 3in) long. The other obvious difference is that there are only two plate sections on the forehead of the Green Turtle and four distinct plate sections on the head of the Hawksbill Turtle.