Fitzroy River turtle

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Fitzroy River turtle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira
Family: Chelidae
Genus: Rheodytes
Species:
R. leukops
Binomial name
Rheodytes leukops
Legler & Cann, 1980[1]
Synonyms[2][3][4]
  • Rheodytes leukops Legler & Cann, 1980
  • Rheodytes leucops Georges, 1983 (
    ex errore
    )
  • Elseya leukops Wells & Wellington, 1984
  • Rheodytes leukops Fritz & Havas, 2007

The Fitzroy River turtle (Rheodytes leukops) is a species of

freshwater turtle in the family Chelidae. It is the only surviving member of the genus Rheodytes, the other member being the extinct form Rheodytes devisi.[5] The species is endemic to south eastern Queensland, Australia and only found in tributaries of the Fitzroy River
.

Description

The Fitzroy River turtle is light to dark brown in color and grows to approximately 260 mm in

cloacal respiration.[7] This allows the Fitzroy River turtle to remain underwater for up to three weeks.[8]

Biology

Diet

This turtle is an adept bottom feeder, preying on terrestrial and aquatic insects, macroinvertebrates, crustaceans, algae, aquatic snails, worms, freshwater sponges and aquatic plants such as ribbon weed (Vallisneria sp.). Stomach flushing has demonstrated that most of the diet was made up of macroinvertebrates with some freshwater sponges.[1]

Natural history and observations in the wild

This species shows a clear preference for fast flowing water (near sand banks for egg laying) and has been found at depths as shallow as 15 cm. In most encounters, they have been found lying still, hidden by overhanging plant foliage along the shallow banks of fast flowing riffles (fast flowing streams or rapids) and under logs.

substratum was noted as coarse river sand and gravel.[1]

Breeding biology

There is limited sexual dimorphism with the tail of the female being cutely shorter than that of the male. The most accurate way to differentiate between sexes is to compare the distance between the anal scutes of the plastron and the cloacae. In males, the cloacae is located further away from the plastron than in females. Most other short-necked turtles in Australia show obvious differences in tail length and thickness. Multi-clutching is demonstrated in this species in the original study by Legler and Cann (1980)[1] as corpora lutea, current eggs and enlarged follicles were present in the females, indicating at least 3 clutches. Anecdotal records since indicate up to 5 clutches may occur.

Conservation status

Their habitat comprises a total area of less than 10,000 km2, including the Fitzroy,

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act 1999) and the Queensland Nature Conservation Act, 1992.[11][12] The IUCN currently flags this species as in need of review.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Legler, J.M. & Cann, J. 1980. A new species of chelid turtle from Queensland, Australia Archived 2016-06-29 at the Wayback Machine. Contributions to Science (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County) 324:1–18.
  2. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  3. ^ Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk PP, Iverson JB, Rhodin AGJ, Shaffer HB, Bour R]. 2014. "Turtles of the World, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status". PDF Chelonian Research Monographs 5 (7): 000.329–479], [doi:10.3854/ crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014.]
  4. .
  5. ^ a b c Thomson S. (2000). A Revision of the Fossil Chelid Turtles (Pleurodira) Described by C.W. De Vis, 1897. Memoires of the Queensland Museum 45(2):593–598.
  6. JSTOR 3891964
    .
  7. ^ "Fitzroy River Turtle (Rheodytes leukops)" (PDF). fba.org.au. Fitzroy Basin Association and Queensland Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  8. ^ "New Dams May Flush Bottom-Breathers Out" (PDF). bacs.uq.edu.au. Australasian Science. June 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b IUCN Redlist Account Fitzroy River Turtle Rheodytes leukops
  10. JSTOR 1565924
    .
  11. ^ a b Aust Gov. SPRaT Database Rheodytes leukops
  12. ^ a b Queensland Government Dept. of Environment and Heritage Rheodytes leukops
  13. .