# australias smallest turtle



## dragon_tail (May 16, 2007)

what is australias smallest (and still obtainable) turtle? pics please if possible and any info on their size and temprement, im very interested in buying up some turtles lately!!!!


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## hornet (May 17, 2007)

australias smallest turtle is the western swamp turtle but its criticly endangered and not available in the tradeas far as i know, if you can get hold of an emydura australia(north-west red-faced turtle) that would be the smallest io think you could get


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## expansa1 (May 17, 2007)

hornet said:


> australias smallest turtle is the western swamp turtle but its criticly endangered and not available in the tradeas far as i know, if you can get hold of an emydura australia(north-west red-faced turtle) that would be the smallest io think you could get



Actually John Cann admits not enough is known about this species to be certain of their overall SCL (straight carapace length) due to the lack of knowledge and gathered specimens.

The Macleay River turtle would be the smallest, commonest available turtle in Australia.
I have never seen female adults larger than 17cm and males larger than 16cm.


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## hornet (May 17, 2007)

so pseudemydura umbrina may not be the smallest?


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## expansa1 (May 17, 2007)

Yes Pseudemydura umbrina are the smallest but as you said they aren't available!


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## hornet (May 17, 2007)

ahh ok you were talking about the emydura australis, you dont keep them do you


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## expansa1 (May 17, 2007)

hornet said:


> ahh ok you were talking about the emydura australis, you dont keep them do you



No not E. australis


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## dragon_tail (May 17, 2007)

are there any available land turtles in australia?
.... ive never seen any? but id love to own a land turtle if it was legal


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## grimbeny (May 17, 2007)

their rnt any.


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## ldheav (May 17, 2007)

no


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## dragon_tail (May 17, 2007)

kinda sucks, oh well! i'll see whats available from the above mentioned advise in melbourne then? thanks guys! i really apreciate it.


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## ldheav (May 17, 2007)

Oh your in melbourne mate

its bloody impossible to find much down here cause we are governed by a size restriction

all turtles must be ten cm SL 
this means hatchlings are illegial which means the harder to find turtles eg maclays simply dont exist within melbounne as no one has adults


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## hornet (May 17, 2007)

what, so its illegal to breed turtles in melb?


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## jonesc1 (May 17, 2007)

from what i understand no, just you hav 2 hold onto the hatchies until they reach the minimum size, normally round 1yr. correct me if im wrong.


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## dragon_tail (May 17, 2007)

thats only on long necks and macquarries to my understanding, species that onlyt reach very small may have consessions?


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## dragon_tail (May 17, 2007)

or not.... ill have to find out?


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## Manda1032 (May 20, 2007)

The painted turtle in my knowledge is the smallest with specimens reaching 14 to 15cm long. There were some for sale in the Rept AUs Mag 2 issues ago!


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## hornet (May 20, 2007)

actually, the painted turtle that your talking about is emydura subglobosa, they get to about 25cm emudura australis is smaller 14cm but i am not aware of it being in captivity


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## ldheav (May 20, 2007)

ok 

You can breed turtles 

but its really not worth it from a financial perspectative

all turtles must be 10 cm shell length before they can legaly be sold, not just long necks


the problems we are having down here, with these BS regulations, is that it is just common knoledge that most long necks for sale in pet shops are wild caught, why would a breeder like myself hatch turtles feed them and wait an entire year to sell them for 20 bucks


its a very very stupid law 


mabey some day the DSE will understand this, by creating such a stupid law, they have created illegial sales in turtles down here, along with destroying the enviroment as long necks are ripped out of dams and golf courses for sale!!!

Also it is almost impossible to get rare breeds of turtle down here 

once again what breeder in any part of Australia would wait for their hatchies to grow before they sell them 

because of this i can buy a broadshell from interstate at size of lets say 10 cm but it will cost me over 250 bucks 



compared to people living in nsw and qld etc who can buy hatchies for 70, its just not fair 



well thats just my two cents sorry about the essay length response lol


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## ldheav (May 20, 2007)

try to get a maclay 

although it is very very hard in vic


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