Tell your Turtles Apart – Green Vs Hawksbill

How do we tell the difference between a green turtle and a hawksbill? Here’s some clues: Hawksbills have a pronounced ‘over bite’, hence the name. However, a more obvious series of features can be seen on the animal’s shell. On Hawksbills, the edge of the shell has a pronounced saw-like outline, while the outline much smoother on Greens. Hawksbills have central scutes overlap each other and are far more pointed on the anterior. If you are looking Immediately above their beak and between their eyes are the prefrontal scales; Hawksbills have two pairs and Greens only have one pair.

Guess which species is our resident turtle at Marina @keppel bay? – Give it a shot!

Photo Credits: Paulina