Unique pig-nosed turtle is over-harvested in New Guinea
Numbers of pig-nosed turtles have declined steeply over the past 30 years, researchers have discovered.
The unique reptile has become an international conservation icon, due to it having no close relatives and being considered the turtle most adapted to life underwater in freshwater ponds and rivers.
Yet demand for its eggs and meat in Papua New Guinea, one of the turtle's main homes, has led to the species being dramatically over-harvested by indigenous people.
Details of the decline are published in the journal Biological Conservation.
"Pig-nosed turtles are considered unique and unusual among freshwater species of turtles in many facets of their morphology, ecology and behaviour," Carla Eisemberg of the University of Canberra, Australia, told BBC Nature.
For example, embryonic pig-nosed turtles become male or female depending on the temperature of the ground their eggs are laid in, while fully developed embryos can delay their hatching.
The pig-nosed turtle is also of great interest to scientists because of its unique position in the turtle family tree.
It is the sole survivor of a once widespread family of turtles called the Carettochelyidae, and has a restricted global distribution, being only found in north Australia and New Guinea Island.
Despite living in freshwater, it is also resembles marine turtles.
"Similar to marine turtles, its limbs are paddle-shaped, but still possess movable digits," said Prof Eisemberg.
That means it might represent a stage of gradual evolution of turtles from freshwater to the sea, and the study of its ecology can help to understand the evolution of marine turtles.
"On the other hand, the similarities they share also make it vulnerable to the same threats that marine turtles face, such as harvesting of nests and adults," said Professor Eisemberg.
To find out what impact such harvesting may be having on the turtle, Professor Eisemberg surveyed the numbers of eggs and adult turtles nesting in the Kikori region of Papua New Guinea. Her team also studied how many turtles and eggs passed through local markets and were consumed in villages along rivers and the coast.
Scientist Mark Rose, now at Fauna and Flora International in Cambridge, UK, and a member of Professor Eisemberg's team, conducted a similar survey of pig-nosed turtle numbers between 1980 and 1982.
Fresh Water Turtles Au - News
"Pig-nosed turtles are considered unique and unusual among freshwater species of turtles in many facets of their morphology, ecology and behaviour," Carla Eisemberg of the University of Canberra, Australia, told BBC Nature.
Lots of freshwater drum and channel cats have been caught from the Hot Ponds. Off Caseville, walleye were caught off the north side of Big Charity Island and along the north end of the Slot off Sand Point. Saginaw River: Is producing lots of channel
Among all the world's turtles, the pig-nosed turtle is unique. Like a marine turtle, the pig-nosed has long, flipper-like appendages, but it also has movable digits like fresh water turtles.
It's also evolutionarily important because not only is it the last member of its once widespread family (Carettochelyidae), but it also shares features with marine turtles and might represent a transition as turtles moved from freshwater to the oceans.
The natural pools were amazing and definitely another highlights of the day trip. We walked about 15 minutes before reaching the natural pool. It was so awesome to feel the clear fresh water. And on a hot day the feel of the water was celestial.
Turtles: Australian freshwater turtles!!!!
Have been modified to paddle-like flippers. There are at least 20 species of freshwater turtles in Australia, and together they cover just about all the freshwater rivers and lakes on mainland. They live mostly in permanent waterways and they lay their eggs in sand or soil, on land near water. The few species that live in temporary waters, bury themselves when the water recedes and aestivate until the rains come along again. The best time to see the freshwater turtles is in the middle of the day when they bask near water surface, or climb onto rocks and logs.
Fresh Water Turtles Au - Bookshelf
Freshwater Turtles
Reptiles and Frogs in the Bush, Southwestern Australia
His superb book, Australian Freshwater Turtles, published in 1998, is the definitive work on this subject. Similar to many terrestrial reptiles, Australia's ...Australia, the east
Natural History Ecology and Behavior Over much of mainland Australia, most bodies of fresh water are likely to have some freshwater turtles. ...Australian freshwater turtles
This is more than can be said for some other freshwater turtles in Australia, some of which have a very limited range, often in rivers under threat. ...Tortoises and freshwater turtles, an action plan for their conservation
... traffic and changes in water level and flow patterns caused by damming and other ... in southern New Guinea and also from Northern Territory, Australia. ...Find Article Directory
Freshwater turtles of the TransFly
zoogeography of the freshwater turtles of the Australasian region. ... the turtles fall when leaving the water to nest or when returning to water after ...
Marine Turtles of Australia
Marine Turtles of Australia examines the biology, reproduction (mating, nest building, egg laying and hatching), behaviour, threats to turtles. ...
Turtles and Tortoises
Freshwater turtles stay in the water most of the time, and sometimes come onto ... Freshwater turtles hibernate deep in the warm mud in the bottom of a stream, ...
Freshwater Turtles of Tropical Australia
location records of freshwater turtles so that we can build a better ... The taxonomy of Australian freshwater turtles is incomplete (Georges and Thomson ...
Links | Turtles NSW
Information About Keeping Australian Freshwater Turtles in Captivity ... The Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation and Research Association Inc. ...