STUMPY
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Species: Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Age: Adult
Sex: Female
Weight: ~ 130 lbs.
Diet: Squid and Capelin
Comments:Stumpy was part of a research project at Nova University in the early 1980's. She is missing her right front flipper due to a birth defect. Her origins prevent us from knowing where the best place to release her would be. Her years in captivity have caused her to adapt to the captive environment, which could be detrimental to her health in the wild. Stumpy represents the Hawksbill sea turtle, the type most commonly hunted for their shell. The scutes, or plates, of the shell were used as jewelry, guitar picks, combs, and many other decorative objects. They, like all U.S. sea turtles, are protected by the Endangered Species Act and it is illegal to hunt them in our country.
