Relationship between habitat and nest-site selection the Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus).
Researcher: Mariana Campbell
Changes in environmental conditions as a result of anthropogenic influences are becoming increasing common in today’s society. Understanding how animals interact with their environment is critical to the management and conservation of species. The river habitats of Australian freshwater turtles have been artificially altered over the years as a result of agriculture, mining and water development. The impact of physic-chemical changes in the water has been investigated extensively in fish populations but few studies have considered such effects on freshwater turtles. Many Australian freshwater turtles are bimodal breathers and therefore, shifts in the physic-chemical characteristics of their aquatic environment, may be as detrimental to the population as it can be for fish. In depth, studies about how these species interact with their environments are essential in pragmatic conservation management.
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Elusor macrurus is a bimodally respiring freshwater turtle endemic to the Mary River in Queensland (Cann & Legler, 1994). This species is generally found in well-oxygenated pools associated with riffle zones, and its breeding population has been subjected to major impacts over time. It grows up to 40 cm in carapace length, and is one of the largest Australian short-necked Chelids. The Mary River turtle is considered to be in imminent threat of extinction (IUCN, 2008) and is currently listed as endangered. It has a very limited range, being only found within the confines of one river system in Queensland, and therefore, changes to that habitat may result in their extinction from the wild. It is therefore, crucial to understand what their habitat requirements are at different life-stages. Surprisingly, there is limited data available on the spatial and temporal habitat exploration of E. macrurus. Thus, the main aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between habitat and nest-site selection of the Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) utilising different methods, such as surveys, bio-telemetry, laboratory procedures with hatchlings and geological analysis.
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