Australian Freshwater Turtles.
The images below, were captured at the Dolphin Marine Conservation Park in Coffs Harbour, N.S.W., Australia and I was pleased that a couple of turtles came up close in order for me to capture a few photos to share with you.
Australian Freshwater Turtles live in rivers, lakes, swamps ponds and dams. The only time they are found on land is when they are migrating between water and land to nest. These amazing reptiles can survive in a dormant state for months after burying themselves in soil or dry lake beds even though they are not able to feed out of water.
All 23 species of freshwater turtles available in Australia belong to the family Chelidae and that his one is found only in Australasia and South America. They are unique in the fact that these ‘side-necked’ turtles retract their head and neck under their shells by folding it to one side, because most of the world’s species of turtles and tortoises draw their heads backwards.
Australia also has 6 of the 7 species of marine turtles but has few of the truly land-based tortoises found on all other continents except Antarctica.
“Nesting turtles dig a hole in the ground with their hind legs, lay their eggs in the hole, then cover the eggs with earth. A clutch may number up 25 eggs at a time, depending on the species of turtle and her size.
A few months later, the eggs hatch and the hatchling turtles make their way to the water, and from there, take approximately 10 years to grow to maturity. Little is known about the life span of Australian freshwater turtles, but it is believed, that they can live for 50 years or more.”
Unfortunately, freshwater turtles face a variety of threats which include introduced foxes and pigs who steal eggs from their nests and in some cases, devour over 90% of them. Some of the threats that newly hatched baby turtles have to contend with are turtle-eating fish, birds and other predators. Adult turtles are protected by their shells from most natural predators when they are in the water, but on land they are killed by dogs, foxes or pigs, or run over by motor vehicles.
Another very real threat, especially in Australia is the heavy toll exacted on turtles due to droughts. This causes their habitats to dry out which in turn, deprives them of food. They are often drowned when they become entangled in illegal fishing nets or even more alarmingly, killed by fishermen who become frustrated at catching a turtle instead of a fish on their hook.
The good news is that some populations of native freshwater turtles are thriving, but in many areas their numbers are declining because of the combination of hazards they encounter and the length of time it takes for them to reach an age at which they can begin to reproduce. Thankfully, effective fox control boosts turtle survival which enables depleted populations to recover.
Discarded cigarette butts, fishing lines and hooks, boat and propeller collisions, nets, ropes, floats or traps and the destruction of habitats are very real dangers. And then other factors such as poor water quality, seagrass depletion, disease and deliberate acts of cruelty cannot be ignored either.
To accompany my #alwaysadigital tag I included this digitalized version of one of these very special creatures.
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.
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