Burnett River Snapping Turtle -- Elseya albagula Thomson et al., 2006

by Scott Thomson.

As one of the largest turtles in the world you would think it was described long ago as it would be easy to locate and easy to identify -- you would be wrong. Although it was first figured in 1890 by Boulenger and was even available to John Edward Grey in the 1870's it never seemed to gain that all important name.

Unfortunately I too am guilty of putting off describing this animal but it has now at last been named in the June 2006 issue of Chelonian Conservation and Biology. The largest specimen in my database is a mere 42 cm but the largest substantiated report is a whopping 55cm carapace length, easily the second largest Chelid in the world. However there is an unsubstantiated report of a specimen over 100cm in length. If this record is true it is the largest Chelid, easily beating the Mata mata, and rate with Podecnemis expansa, Macroclemys temminkii and Chitra chitra as the largest freshwater turtle in the world.

Much political attention was drawn to the species when the proposed Paradise Dam on the Burnett was given the go-ahead. This will destroymuch of the habitat of the species and Col Limpus of Queensland's Park Service found that there was already low recruitment. This reached all levels of Government with the Minister for Environment at the time Senator Hill recommending long term and detailed studies of this species. For the last three years there has been repeated calls for the dam to be abandoned and this species, along with the Lungfish have been used as flagship endangered species in this.

Recently a head start program with $350,000.00 of Federal funding has been set up for the species but I am unconvinced even this will do much for the species in the Burnett. One of my problems is that the species does occur in two other drainages. The Fitzroy and the Mary. Interesting they do not get as large in either drainage and this could mean that environmental effects are limiting the species in those two drainages, whereas the Burnett seems to allow maximum size potential.

There was a lot of hype, great efforts were made to demonstrate the species was unique to the river, so as to utilise Environment Legislation and declare it an endangered species. Perhaps too much effort for now it has been demonstrated to occur in other areas, the line that was drawn was not crossed. It is unfortunate however that this is a unique turtle but does not quite reach that post that would have saved an entire river.

The species has some unusual features, the skull is enormous, with large tomial sheaths and expanded lingual ridges, typical of a fruit eating turtle. It is capable of cloacal breathing sustaining itself underwater by passing water in and out of the cloaca, and hence over gills therein.

Hear more about the Burnett River Snapping Turtle ( Audio In RealMedia format) Requires RealPlayer.
Approximately 6 minutes.

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