Flaviemys purvisi
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MARCH 8 2018 Madeline Link
University of New England welcomes a clutch of baby Bell's Turtles to the lab
TURTLE TIME: One of the Bell's Turtle's that recently hatched at the University of New England. Photo: Madeline Link
POKING their heads out of the sand, Bell’s Turtles instinctively sprint for the river.
But, not many of them are getting there.
University of New England environmental science researcher Louise Streeting said 90 per cent of nests are being raided within a day of eggs being laid.
“We’re protecting the endangered Bell’s Turtle,” she said.
“The first part is trying to bypass the predation and build juvenile numbers in the wild by inducing female turtles to lay eggs – incubating the eggs and raising those hatchlings before releasing them into the wild.”
TURTLE TIME: University of New England environmental science research student Louise Streeting is breeding the Bell's Turtles hatchlings. The turtles are endangered as a result of foxes raiding their nests. Photo: Madeline Link.
The turtles are native to the Northern Tablelands and are only found in western flowing rivers.
The most heroic turtle of the bunch is Nemo, a baby turtle who’s egg was damaged by foxes in the wild.
Researchers thought it was unlikely it would survive, but now it’s thriving along with a number of it’s brothers and sisters.
Ms Streeting said it’s the first trial that’s been conducted.
“I get to hang out with gorgeous baby turtles, that’s a selling point but of course the aim of the project is to conserve an endangered species,” she said.
Of the naturally born turtles, more than 100 made it back to the river.
In the lab, 15 turtles were induced and 274 eggs laid.
Of those more than 100 have hatched and are happy and healthy.
The plan is to release them back into the wild in a month.
Researchers are appealing to property owners to help out.
“We are keen to recruit property owners who have Bell’s Turtles in rivers running through their properties,” Ms Streeting said.
“If people are keen to help out we’d love them to contact Northern Tablelands Local Land Services or the University of New England.”
TURTLEY WILD: University of New England environmental science researcher Louise Streeting and PhD candidate Geoff Hughes.
PhD candidate Geoff Hughes has studied turtles for the last 12 years.
He’s looking at the conservation issues in the wild.
“In lab conservation measures are great but they’re usually very expensive and time consuming,” he said.
“They’re not as effective as if we could actually help improve conditions in the field and let the turtles do things themselves.”
The turtles can live for up to 40 years and grow to around 20 to 30 centimetres.
APRIL 10 2018
Jacob McArthur
Endangered Bell's Turtles Released in Macdonald River
FIGHT TO SURVIVE: UNE researcher Louise Streeting with an endangered Bell's Turtle hatchling. Photo: Gareth Gardner
THE sun-kissed bank of the Macdonald River was the setting for researchers hoping to turn the tide in an ecological “crisis situation” this week.
Thirty-one Bell’s Turtle hatchlings, raised in captivity, were released into the river at Bendemeer in a bid to help the endangered species avoid a population crash.
The species is exclusively native to the Northern Tablelands rivers where populations have been hounded by foxes, and other predators, to the point where ecologists and land services have stepped in.
Ebullient youngsters from the Bendemeer and Kootingal public schools were given the task of releasing hatchlings into the river.
University of New England environmental science researcher Louise Streeting has been working on the project and hoped the kids would feel a sense “of ownership and an interest in conserving a species that is in trouble”.
SCHOOL OF THOUGHT: Students from Bendemeer and Kootingal lent a hand releasing endangered turtle hatchlings into the Macdonald River. Photo: Gareth Gardner
“So, 95 per cent-plus of the Bell’s nests are raided by foxes within 24 to 48 hours of the eggs being laid,” Ms Streeting said.
“It’s devastating the juvenile numbers in the population.
“Because the turtles don’t reproduce until they are 20-years-old, it’s just a huge crisis situation basically.”
There were 132 hatchlings released around the region this week and Ms Streeting said they had a huge task ahead of them.
“They have to survive, females have to be 20-years-old before they reproduce,” she said.
“That’s a long period of time to survive.
“They’ve got to deal with native fish and introduced fish species, as well as birds, cormorants and pelicans.”
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Bell’s Turtle project coordinator Martin Dillon said the region’s landholders had a crucial role to play to protecting the animals from their main predator.
“There are about 12 landholders this season, and more next season, to manage livestock access to riverbanks, because trampling is a risk as well,” Mr Dillon said.
“And also to manage fox populations.
“So each of those landholders are going to go above and beyond their routine fox management.”
The “Turtles Forever” program is a ten-year project focusing on four catchments across the Northern Tablelands and funded with $985,191 from the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust Saving Our Species Partnership grant program.
Photos by Gareth Gardner.
University of New England welcomes a clutch of baby Bell's Turtles to the lab
TURTLE TIME: One of the Bell's Turtle's that recently hatched at the University of New England. Photo: Madeline Link
POKING their heads out of the sand, Bell’s Turtles instinctively sprint for the river.
But, not many of them are getting there.
University of New England environmental science researcher Louise Streeting said 90 per cent of nests are being raided within a day of eggs being laid.
“We’re protecting the endangered Bell’s Turtle,” she said.
“The first part is trying to bypass the predation and build juvenile numbers in the wild by inducing female turtles to lay eggs – incubating the eggs and raising those hatchlings before releasing them into the wild.”
TURTLE TIME: University of New England environmental science research student Louise Streeting is breeding the Bell's Turtles hatchlings. The turtles are endangered as a result of foxes raiding their nests. Photo: Madeline Link.
The turtles are native to the Northern Tablelands and are only found in western flowing rivers.
The most heroic turtle of the bunch is Nemo, a baby turtle who’s egg was damaged by foxes in the wild.
Researchers thought it was unlikely it would survive, but now it’s thriving along with a number of it’s brothers and sisters.
Ms Streeting said it’s the first trial that’s been conducted.
“I get to hang out with gorgeous baby turtles, that’s a selling point but of course the aim of the project is to conserve an endangered species,” she said.
Of the naturally born turtles, more than 100 made it back to the river.
In the lab, 15 turtles were induced and 274 eggs laid.
Of those more than 100 have hatched and are happy and healthy.
The plan is to release them back into the wild in a month.
Researchers are appealing to property owners to help out.
“We are keen to recruit property owners who have Bell’s Turtles in rivers running through their properties,” Ms Streeting said.
“If people are keen to help out we’d love them to contact Northern Tablelands Local Land Services or the University of New England.”
TURTLEY WILD: University of New England environmental science researcher Louise Streeting and PhD candidate Geoff Hughes.
PhD candidate Geoff Hughes has studied turtles for the last 12 years.
He’s looking at the conservation issues in the wild.
“In lab conservation measures are great but they’re usually very expensive and time consuming,” he said.
“They’re not as effective as if we could actually help improve conditions in the field and let the turtles do things themselves.”
The turtles can live for up to 40 years and grow to around 20 to 30 centimetres.
APRIL 10 2018
Jacob McArthur
Endangered Bell's Turtles Released in Macdonald River
FIGHT TO SURVIVE: UNE researcher Louise Streeting with an endangered Bell's Turtle hatchling. Photo: Gareth Gardner
THE sun-kissed bank of the Macdonald River was the setting for researchers hoping to turn the tide in an ecological “crisis situation” this week.
Thirty-one Bell’s Turtle hatchlings, raised in captivity, were released into the river at Bendemeer in a bid to help the endangered species avoid a population crash.
The species is exclusively native to the Northern Tablelands rivers where populations have been hounded by foxes, and other predators, to the point where ecologists and land services have stepped in.
Ebullient youngsters from the Bendemeer and Kootingal public schools were given the task of releasing hatchlings into the river.
University of New England environmental science researcher Louise Streeting has been working on the project and hoped the kids would feel a sense “of ownership and an interest in conserving a species that is in trouble”.
SCHOOL OF THOUGHT: Students from Bendemeer and Kootingal lent a hand releasing endangered turtle hatchlings into the Macdonald River. Photo: Gareth Gardner
“So, 95 per cent-plus of the Bell’s nests are raided by foxes within 24 to 48 hours of the eggs being laid,” Ms Streeting said.
“It’s devastating the juvenile numbers in the population.
“Because the turtles don’t reproduce until they are 20-years-old, it’s just a huge crisis situation basically.”
There were 132 hatchlings released around the region this week and Ms Streeting said they had a huge task ahead of them.
“They have to survive, females have to be 20-years-old before they reproduce,” she said.
“That’s a long period of time to survive.
“They’ve got to deal with native fish and introduced fish species, as well as birds, cormorants and pelicans.”
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Bell’s Turtle project coordinator Martin Dillon said the region’s landholders had a crucial role to play to protecting the animals from their main predator.
“There are about 12 landholders this season, and more next season, to manage livestock access to riverbanks, because trampling is a risk as well,” Mr Dillon said.
“And also to manage fox populations.
“So each of those landholders are going to go above and beyond their routine fox management.”
The “Turtles Forever” program is a ten-year project focusing on four catchments across the Northern Tablelands and funded with $985,191 from the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust Saving Our Species Partnership grant program.
Photos by Gareth Gardner.
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He was most helpful and happy to oblige.
