The Bellinger River turtle (Myuchelys georgesi) is a species of turtle in the familyChelidae. The species is of moderate size, with a straight-line carapace length to 240 mm (9.4 in) in females, and 185 mm (7.3 in) in males. It is endemic to Australia with a highly restricted distribution to the small coastal drainage of the Bellinger River in New South Wales.[3] In the past the species was considered locally abundant. The species' preferred habitat is the deeper pools of the clear-water upstream reaches of the river, where water flows continuously in most months over a bedrock basement and a stream bed of boulders, pebbles, and gravel.[6] A captive breeding program has been under way since a 2015 virus outbreak came close to wiping out the entire species. Most remaining individuals are currently housed in quarantine, though a small number have been reintroduced to the original habitat.[7]
The preferred habitat of M. georgesi is the deeper pools of the clear-water upstream reaches of the river, where the water flows continuously in most months over a bedrock basement and a boulder, pebble and gravel bed.[9] The species takes advantage of the highly oxygenated water with low particulate load by supplementing its oxygen uptake through cloacal breathing.[10]
Dietedit
M. georgesi is essentially an omnivore, with tendencies leaning toward carnivory.[11] A high proportion of its food comes from benthic macro-invertebrate communities that are relatively sedentary and live in immediate association with the substratum, but with some terrestrial fruit and aquatic vegetation eaten.
Reproductionedit
M. georgesi nests from October to December, laying 10-15 oblong white hard-shelled eggs.[9]
Conservation statusedit
Within the Bellinger drainage, a very restricted range, M. georgesi was formerly widely distributed and locally abundant, with threats to its persistence including habitat modification and loss of native riparian vegetation, associated turbidification and sedimentation, predation by the introduced European fox, and competition with the recently introduced turtle Emydura macquarii.[12] In 2015, more than 90% of the adult population was wiped out by a virus, rendering the animal functionally extinct in the wild; a captive breeding program, with limited reintroduction, is working to re-establish a healthy population.[7] Partially as a result of the extreme population decline caused by the virus (with a 97% mortality rate), the species was listed as critically endangered by the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment in 2016.[13] As of November 2022, while there is still no cure for the virus, the captive breeding program undertaken by Taronga Zoo has resulted in the release of 82 juvenile turtles back into the wild.[14]
Galleryedit
Front view
Side view
Referencesedit
^ abTortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (2016) [errata version of 1996 assessment]. "Elseya georgesi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T40760A97267520. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T40760A10362891.en. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
^Cann, John (1997). "Georges Short-neck Turtle, Elseya georgesi sp. nov. Holotype A. M. R31721 Collected by J. Cann 1971". Monitor (Victorian Herpetological Society, Melbourne) 9: 18–23, 31–32. (Elseya georgesi, new species).
^ abc(PDF). Vertebrate Zoology: 328–329. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B., and Bour, R.]. 2014. Turtles of the world, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status. [1] Chelonian Research Monographs 5(7):000.329–479, doi:10.3854/ crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014.
^Cann, John; Spencer, Ricky-J; Welsh, Michael; Georges, Arthur (2015). "Myuchelys georgesi (Cann 1997) – Bellinger River Turtle". Chelonian Research Monographs5 (8): 091.1–9. [doi:10.3854/crm.5.091.georgesi.v1.2015], [2].
^ ab"Critically endangered snapping turtle program breeds hope for survival". The Guardian. 11 March 2020.
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael. (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. (Elseya georgesi, p. 99).
^ abCann, J. (1998). Australian Freshwater Turtles. Singapore: Beaumont Publishing. 292 pp. ISBN978-9810406868.
^King, Peter D.; Heatwole, Harold F. (1994). "Partitioning of aquatic oxygen uptake among different respiratory surfaces in a freely-diving pleurodiran turtle". Copeia1994: 802-806.
^Allanson, Matthew; Georges, Arthur (1999). "Diet of a sibling species pair of freshwater turtles, Elseya purvisi and Elseya georgesi (Testudinata: Chelidae), from eastern Australia". Chelonian Conservation and Biology3: 473-476.
^Georges, Arthur; Spencer, Ricky-J; Welsh, Michael; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Walsh, Rachael; Zhang, Xiuwen (2011). "Application of the precautionary principle to taxa of uncertain status-the case of the Bellinger River Turtle". Endangered Species Research14: 127-134.
^Bellinger River snapping turtle (Myuchelys georgesi) - critically endangered species listing, Environment NSW, 22 Apr. 2016
^Keeping up with the Bellinger River snapping turtle, Environment NSW, Nov. 16, 2022
External linksedit
Media related to Myuchelys georgesi at Wikimedia Commons
April 18, 2024
bellinger, river, snapping, turtle, bellinger, river, turtle, myuchelys, georgesi, species, turtle, family, chelidae, species, moderate, size, with, straight, line, carapace, length, females, males, endemic, australia, with, highly, restricted, distribution, s. The Bellinger River turtle Myuchelys georgesi is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae The species is of moderate size with a straight line carapace length to 240 mm 9 4 in in females and 185 mm 7 3 in in males It is endemic to Australia with a highly restricted distribution to the small coastal drainage of the Bellinger River in New South Wales 3 In the past the species was considered locally abundant The species preferred habitat is the deeper pools of the clear water upstream reaches of the river where water flows continuously in most months over a bedrock basement and a stream bed of boulders pebbles and gravel 6 A captive breeding program has been under way since a 2015 virus outbreak came close to wiping out the entire species Most remaining individuals are currently housed in quarantine though a small number have been reintroduced to the original habitat 7 Bellinger River snapping turtleConservation statusData Deficient IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder TestudinesSuborder PleurodiraFamily ChelidaeGenus MyuchelysSpecies M georgesiBinomial nameMyuchelys georgesi Cann 1997 2 Synonyms 3 1 4 5 Elseya sp 3 1996 and 2000 IUCN Red Lists Elseya georgesi Cann 1997 Elseya latisternum georgesi Artner 2008 Myuchelys georgesi S Thomson amp Georges 2009 Wollumbinia georgesi Cann 1997 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Geographic range 3 Habitat 4 Diet 5 Reproduction 6 Conservation status 7 Gallery 8 References 9 External linksEtymology editThe specific name georgesi is in honour of Australian herpetologist Arthur Georges 8 Geographic range editM georgesi is found in the Bellinger River and its tributaries mid eastern New South Wales Australia 3 Habitat editThe preferred habitat of M georgesi is the deeper pools of the clear water upstream reaches of the river where the water flows continuously in most months over a bedrock basement and a boulder pebble and gravel bed 9 The species takes advantage of the highly oxygenated water with low particulate load by supplementing its oxygen uptake through cloacal breathing 10 Diet editM georgesi is essentially an omnivore with tendencies leaning toward carnivory 11 A high proportion of its food comes from benthic macro invertebrate communities that are relatively sedentary and live in immediate association with the substratum but with some terrestrial fruit and aquatic vegetation eaten Reproduction editM georgesi nests from October to December laying 10 15 oblong white hard shelled eggs 9 Conservation status editWithin the Bellinger drainage a very restricted range M georgesi was formerly widely distributed and locally abundant with threats to its persistence including habitat modification and loss of native riparian vegetation associated turbidification and sedimentation predation by the introduced European fox and competition with the recently introduced turtle Emydura macquarii 12 In 2015 more than 90 of the adult population was wiped out by a virus rendering the animal functionally extinct in the wild a captive breeding program with limited reintroduction is working to re establish a healthy population 7 Partially as a result of the extreme population decline caused by the virus with a 97 mortality rate the species was listed as critically endangered by the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment in 2016 13 As of November 2022 while there is still no cure for the virus the captive breeding program undertaken by Taronga Zoo has resulted in the release of 82 juvenile turtles back into the wild 14 Gallery edit nbsp Front view nbsp Side viewReferences edit a b Tortoise amp Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 2016 errata version of 1996 assessment Elseya georgesi IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 1996 e T40760A97267520 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 1996 RLTS T40760A10362891 en Retrieved 4 December 2023 Cann John 1997 Georges Short neck Turtle Elseya georgesi sp nov Holotype A M R31721 Collected by J Cann 1971 Monitor Victorian Herpetological Society Melbourne 9 18 23 31 32 Elseya georgesi new species a b c Checklist of Chelonians of the World PDF Vertebrate Zoology 328 329 ISSN 1864 5755 Archived from the original PDF on 2011 05 01 Retrieved 29 May 2012 Myuchelys georgesi The Reptile Database Turtle Taxonomy Working Group van Dijk P P Iverson J B Rhodin A G J Shaffer H B and Bour R 2014 Turtles of the world 7th edition annotated checklist of taxonomy synonymy distribution with maps and conservation status 1 Chelonian Research Monographs 5 7 000 329 479 doi 10 3854 crm 5 000 checklist v7 2014 Cann John Spencer Ricky J Welsh Michael Georges Arthur 2015 Myuchelys georgesi Cann 1997 Bellinger River Turtle Chelonian Research Monographs 5 8 091 1 9 doi 10 3854 crm 5 091 georgesi v1 2015 2 a b Critically endangered snapping turtle program breeds hope for survival The Guardian 11 March 2020 Beolens Bo Watkins Michael Grayson Michael 2011 The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press xiii 296 pp ISBN 978 1 4214 0135 5 Elseya georgesi p 99 a b Cann J 1998 Australian Freshwater Turtles Singapore Beaumont Publishing 292 pp ISBN 978 9810406868 King Peter D Heatwole Harold F 1994 Partitioning of aquatic oxygen uptake among different respiratory surfaces in a freely diving pleurodiran turtle Copeia 1994 802 806 Allanson Matthew Georges Arthur 1999 Diet of a sibling species pair of freshwater turtles Elseya purvisi and Elseya georgesi Testudinata Chelidae from eastern Australia Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3 473 476 Georges Arthur Spencer Ricky J Welsh Michael Shaffer H Bradley Walsh Rachael Zhang Xiuwen 2011 Application of the precautionary principle to taxa of uncertain status the case of the Bellinger River Turtle Endangered Species Research 14 127 134 Bellinger River snapping turtle Myuchelys georgesi critically endangered species listing Environment NSW 22 Apr 2016 Keeping up with the Bellinger River snapping turtle Environment NSW Nov 16 2022External links edit nbsp Media related to Myuchelys georgesi at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bellinger River snapping turtle amp oldid 1203945006, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
