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BohoBio Bio
Hello, my name is Gilbert, and this is my BohoBio Bio
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Name : Gilbert the Mary River Turtle
Scientific Name : Elusor macrurus Other Name : Mary River tortoise, punk turtle Home : Mary River in Queensland, Australia Favorite Food : plants that grow in or near the water, mosquito larvae and other bugs Personality : quiet, like my alone time, active during the day and evening Best Features : long tail with a cloaca I can breathe through Biggest Concerns : foxes digging up our eggs, getting caught in fishing lines, construction along the river, illegal pet trade Shout out : Tiaro & District Landcare Group Video : |
WHERE I’M FROM
I am a fresh water turtle and live in the beautiful Mary River which is located in southeast Queensland, Australia between the cities of Brisbane and Bundaberg.
I spend most of my time in the river but come out to bask on rocks during the day.
I spend most of my time in the river but come out to bask on rocks during the day.
TRAITS & ABILITIES
I am pretty big as Australian turtles go, weighing almost 7 kg and having a shell that is 40 cm long. My shell is a brown color mostly, but since we spend so much time in the water, algae can grow on our shells or even on our head which makes it look like we have shaggy green hair when we are underwater.
My neck is short, but my legs are long with webbed feet that allow us to be fast swimmers. I have a long tail with a hole on the underside called a cloaca that I use to get rid of my pee and poo. My cloaca has some folded skin on the inside that acts like fish gills and allows me to get oxygen from the water (yes, I can breathe a bit from my bottom!). This allows us to spend more time underwater without needing to come to the surface for a breath of air.
My neck is short, but my legs are long with webbed feet that allow us to be fast swimmers. I have a long tail with a hole on the underside called a cloaca that I use to get rid of my pee and poo. My cloaca has some folded skin on the inside that acts like fish gills and allows me to get oxygen from the water (yes, I can breathe a bit from my bottom!). This allows us to spend more time underwater without needing to come to the surface for a breath of air.
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FAMILY LIFE
Females go looking for a nice sandy spot on the river banks to lay eggs in late spring and early summer which in Australia is October and November.
One female will lay and bury 10 to 25 eggs which hatch around Christmas time. The young turtles mature very slowly and may take 25 -30 years to become adults and start breeding themselves. That’s ok though because we also have a long lifespan and live up to 75 years.
One female will lay and bury 10 to 25 eggs which hatch around Christmas time. The young turtles mature very slowly and may take 25 -30 years to become adults and start breeding themselves. That’s ok though because we also have a long lifespan and live up to 75 years.
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PRESENT & FUTURE
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There aren’t many of us left, and we are considered an endangered species. This is good because the government and some of the people that live near the Mary River are working to protect us and improve our home. These people are protecting our nests and sometimes collect our eggs to increase the number of babies that survive. With their help we hope to be able to have a future where we can survive on our own alongside people living near the Mary River. |
