Endangered Bell's Turtles Released in Macdonald River

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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

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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.”
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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.”
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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

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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”.
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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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@Flaviemys purvisi how come you changed your name on here "KEV"

ndemx0bziv-gif.322035

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -ronhalling-
 
ABC New England
By Jennifer Ingall


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PHOTO: Bell's turtle hatchlings are being released into river systems in northern NSW. (Supplied: Michael Gough)

Hatchlings represent new hope for endangered Bells turtle species

Farmers, researchers and Local Land Services officers are working together to protect an endangered turtle from foxes in northern New South Wales.

A project to find, protect and breed the endangered Bells turtle will result in more than 100 turtle hatchlings being released into rivers.

Researchers have found foxes are raiding up to 90 per cent of nests, leaving the species even more vulnerable.

Farmers like Richard Daugherty are joining efforts to prevent the demise of the species.

He was thrilled to recently discover a population of more than 60 of the endangered Bells turtle on his property near Uralla.

But during a recent walk along the riverbed near the waterhole home of the turtles, he found a raided nest and scattered eggshells.

"We know that foxes eat many turtle nests," Northern Tablelands Local Land Service (LLS) projects officer Martin Dillon said.
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PHOTO: Bunyah the English springer spaniel has been trained to sniff out Bells turtle nests. (Supplied: Brad Nesbitt)

Boosting the juvenile population

The LLS is part of a pilot program that in November set out to save the juvenile Bells turtle population, with the help of an English springer spaniel trained to sniff out nests.

"Bunyah has been trained to have a specific response when he finds a nest, and that is to stay completely still with his nose just above the nest. He just freezes," Mr Dillon explained.


The nests can then be fenced off to protect the eggs from predators.

As part of the program, female turtles are collected and induced to lay eggs, which have been incubated at the University of New England.

Researchers are rearing more than 100 hatchlings in a bid to save the species.

Endemic to high altitude rivers and creeks in northern NSW, it is estimated only 6 per cent of the population is juvenile.
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PHOTO: This tiny Bells turtle is being nurtured in captivity and providing researchers with valuable information about the endangered species. (ABC News: Jennifer Ingall)

Researcher Louise Streeting said the population was ageing.

"This makes the population vulnerable to a sudden crash some time in the future," she said.

The latest brood will be released back in the river systems later this month, but that is still no guarantee of survival.

"They're basically snack size for a lot of creatures," Ms Streeting said.

Farmers lending a hand
The project is a 10-year effort and so far 24 farmers are helping. LLS hopes that increases next breeding season.

"When they see the problems the foxes are actually doing to the turtle nests, they've been really co-operative," Mr Dillon said.

Mr Dillon also has been working with farmers on a collaborative fox baiting program

Mr Daugherty was already baiting foxes to protect his spring lambs, and said he would extend that to take into account the summer turtle nesting season.

"It makes sense to now get involved in baiting for their [the turtles'] season as well as the lambing season," he said.
 
@Flaviemys purvisi how come you changed your name on here "KEV"

ndemx0bziv-gif.322035

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -ronhalling-
G'day Ron, I approached Stuart a week or so ago and asked if he could change it for me to promote awareness of a critically endangered freshwater turtle species restricted to a relatively small river system in NSW and as this is where my work is currently focused. :) He was most helpful and happy to oblige.
 
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