RedEyeGirl
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i would take in heaps but i dont have a rep license although a friend does.She loves turtles
Turtles Of the Lake
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Pythonking
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hey kakariki, just thought I would add a real good way to catch freshwater turtles, If you get some fishing line and put a hook on it thread a largish peice of squid onto it then loop it back so you can cut off the hook and tie the line back onto itself, you'll be watching the turtles hang on for dear life for some squid, I've used this method in upper reaches of the brisbane river and everytime I end up with them in my hands before they even think what am i doing out of the water and omg theres a big scary creature and its got me 
Fresh water..and lots of it! The Lake Alexandrina is too salty for the creatures that live here. Not just the turtles but frogs and birdlife as well. I am not sure of the exact figures but the saltiness has gone from about 700ppm to 12,000 in the space of 4-5 years. There is now a fair bit of publicity about this of late. The whole river system is in diabolical trouble. We save from here & release further up river but it is only a matter of time before we will be rescuing from there too!
Pking, we don't need to catch these turtles. We walk around the shore and just pick them up! The kids picked up 15 yesterday morning alone! 50 were picked up on Saturday by the local boat club members, it is never ending! They drag themselves out of the water and just lay there waiting to die! The birds, rats & foxes then come along & pick them off. Everything is getting covered in tubeworm. There are no freshwater mussels anymore. They have succumbed too. Even the reeds have some. And what doesn't get tubeworm, dies of salt poisoning.
Pking, we don't need to catch these turtles. We walk around the shore and just pick them up! The kids picked up 15 yesterday morning alone! 50 were picked up on Saturday by the local boat club members, it is never ending! They drag themselves out of the water and just lay there waiting to die! The birds, rats & foxes then come along & pick them off. Everything is getting covered in tubeworm. There are no freshwater mussels anymore. They have succumbed too. Even the reeds have some. And what doesn't get tubeworm, dies of salt poisoning.
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melgalea
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wow, such sad pictures of some of the ones that have died. horrible life some animals get dealt with in life. but its great to see people out there doing what they can to help out animals in need. good on u for it. and i hope many more healthy turtles get released back into the wild.
wicked reptiles
Well-Known Member
That is some sad stuff! Is there any chance of seeing some pics of the worms and the process used to remove them?
Also, a great way to catch turtles is to get opera house nets (used for catching yabbies) and put in the water where the top of it is above the waterline (so they can breathe) and chuck a pigs heart, cows heart, chicken liver, pretty much somthing stinky, and leave it over night youl get at least 3 or 4 every night, its amazing how the big ones can get through the small holes, just make sure the entrance doesnt have wire ringing it, just the mesh.
Also, a great way to catch turtles is to get opera house nets (used for catching yabbies) and put in the water where the top of it is above the waterline (so they can breathe) and chuck a pigs heart, cows heart, chicken liver, pretty much somthing stinky, and leave it over night youl get at least 3 or 4 every night, its amazing how the big ones can get through the small holes, just make sure the entrance doesnt have wire ringing it, just the mesh.
Pythonking
Well-Known Member
pretty sure this is the 60 minutes run, I hadn't seen anything about this prior to tonight, although its a funny thing I learn't about the murray darling river in primary school and the problems about salinity and the river and oh that was easily 15 years ago!!! its terrible that in that whole time not a great deal had been done to fix the system.
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=455698 turtles are towards the end of the video
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=455698 turtles are towards the end of the video
I willget some pics of the cleaning. There will be an article in Australian Geographic in September. They were here today taking pics of the kids cleaning & the lake in general. Basically we use screwdrivers to gently scrape the shells. The stuff is quite hard. When you break a bit off, you can see the worm in the chamber, a very thin browny red worm. It is also quite heavy so the turtles get weak carrying it around. It grows over the openings making it hard for the turtles to walk and feed and of course, they then are an easy meal for predators. One of the turtles I have has lost an eye.
Pythonking
Well-Known Member
In the video towards the end it shows them cleaning the turtles
Yes,there has been a few news crews doing stories about it. And you are spot on! It has been known for a very long time that we were headed for disaster. But all the pollies put it in the "too hard basket"!
Why do people find entertainment from killing creatures needlessly ? What enjoyment can someone possibly get from it? Your post, Grim, highlights the way some people think! Were the perpetrators caught?
Why do people find entertainment from killing creatures needlessly ? What enjoyment can someone possibly get from it? Your post, Grim, highlights the way some people think! Were the perpetrators caught?
springerduck
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OMG that is so incredibly sad.
You are doing a great job but it is obvious you need alot more help.
Are all the surviving turtles being relocated to one area, I am worried about the long term impact that will have on their survival and having to compete for food.
You are doing a great job but it is obvious you need alot more help.
Are all the surviving turtles being relocated to one area, I am worried about the long term impact that will have on their survival and having to compete for food.
No, there are a couple of sites where they were released. I actually thought that we would see a decline in numbers as time went on....I am still waiting! Thanks for the encouragement. It does feel good to see these guys after they have been cleaned. I just hope there will be somewhere left to release them come spring!
springerduck
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Are they talking about cutting off more wetlands in the future?
Sad news! 2 of the Turtles I picked up on Wednesday last week didn't make it. They died Sunday night but the tiny one I was worried about is stronger now & is eating really well. There is still 1 who isn't good....fingers crossed with him.
oddball
Active Member
Why wasn't something done about this before it became such a massive problem?
COME ON GOVERNMENT! You're supposed to be smarter than the rest of us, and your job is to make the decisions that affect our future! Why isn't anything being done! Where is the emergency relief? Where is the damage control planning?
It makes me sick. They are supposed to help, but their non-action and seeming refusal to come to a decision is just allowing things to get worse.
They have a responsibility to our country, and they are failing in it.
Kakariki, you are an amazing human being. I hope this crisis ends soon.
COME ON GOVERNMENT! You're supposed to be smarter than the rest of us, and your job is to make the decisions that affect our future! Why isn't anything being done! Where is the emergency relief? Where is the damage control planning?
It makes me sick. They are supposed to help, but their non-action and seeming refusal to come to a decision is just allowing things to get worse.
They have a responsibility to our country, and they are failing in it.
Kakariki, you are an amazing human being. I hope this crisis ends soon.
springerduck
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The kids went out again today to check for turtles. 60 were found! I am so amazed that they are still coming in. And in such numbers. Just from one area........when will it end. Apparently because of the tubeworm, these turtles can't get to their hibernation places and are just doing the best they can. It was cold today but the kids didn't hesitate. They just got in to the mud and water to collect these poor creatures. They are the amazing ones oddball, the kids of Milang Campus. I help them where I can but it is all them!
On a happier note, the little weak long-neck that I was so worried about has become stronger and happily pinches food from the bigger turtles now. He seems to have perfected the snatch and swim technique, lol. :lol:
Apparently because of the tubeworm, these turtles can't get to their hibernation places and are just doing the best they can. It was cold today but the kids didn't hesitate. They just got in to the mud and water to collect these poor creatures. They are the amazing ones oddball, the kids of Milang Campus. I help them where I can but it is all them! On a happier note, the little weak long-neck that I was so worried about has become stronger and happily pinches food from the bigger turtles now. He seems to have perfected the snatch and swim technique, lol. :lol:
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