We
have four freshwater and five marine Australian turtles in Cape York.
The
freshwater species are
small and live in the inland creeks and billabongs, while the marine species are large
and live in
the ocean.
The freshwater turtles
are much
more numerous and easier to spot, while the marine turtles are much less common to see,
and face various threats.
Their eggs are eaten by monitor
lizards
and feral pigs, and most of the hatchlings are taken by birds, crabs
and fish.
Adults can get killed
when striked by boats, get caught in fishing
nets, or mistaking a plastic bag for jellyfish
and
swallowing it.
Marine
Turtles
Green turtle is one of the most
common
Australian turtles
and it is found along the coast of northern Australia between Shark Bay
in the west and Eyre Peninsula in the east (which is all the way to
South Australia). Even world wide it has a large distribution that
reaches to temperate waters, however its nesting sites are in the
tropics.
Green turtle by
Trodel via Flickr.com
Loggerhead Turtle is
another common marine
animal,
with a very similar distribution between Exmouth and Adelaide in
Australia, and until the temperate waters world wide, but a little more
coastal (less in the open ocean) than the green turtle above.
Loggerhead Turtle by Life As Art
via Flickr.com
Hawksbill Turtle has a
little smaller
distribution
between Ningaloo Reef in the west and the coast of southern New South
Wales in the east. And world wide it keeps closer to the tropics and
doesn't reach to temperate waters.
Hawksbill turtle by myheimu via
Flickr.com
Flatback Turtle is the
only endemic turtles in Australia, found in the waters of
northern Australia
between Broome in the west and Brisbane in the east, and nowhere else
in the world.
Pacific aka Olive Riddle turtle By
flickingerbrad via
Flickr.com
Pacific aka Olive Ridley Turtle has the smallest distribution in
Australia,
with only the Top End in the Northern Territory, and the northern half
of Cape York peninsula. World wide it is in tropical waters and closer
to the coasts rather than in the open ocean.
Freshwater
Turtles
Freshwater
turtles are very common in Cape York.
You can often see
them basking
on the rocks and logs in freshwater creeks, gorges and also river
banks.
Some are short necked, others are long necked, most are shy animals
and
will glide into the water when they notice you.
They are much smaller than their marine cousins, however with a
70 year life span
they are not much shorter lived.
By Arthur Chapman via
Flickr.com
Saw
Shelled
Turtle
Saw shelled turtle Elseya
latisternum
is a common one, has a short neck, and is found from Cape York
peninsula in the north to northern New South Wales in the south. It
eats aquatic insects,
tadpoles, small fish and frogs, and it is one of the few native animals
that can feed on the poisonous introduced cane
toad.
Snapping
Turtle
Snapping turtle Elseya
dentata complex is another short necked one of our
freshwater turtles, and it lives in lagoons and rivers in sub coastal
Queensland between Cairns
in the north and Gympie in the south. It eats algae and other plant
material as well as small aquatic animals.
By Arthur Chapman via Flickr.com
Krefft's
Short Necked Turtle
Krefft's Short Necked Turtle Emydura
krefftii is also one of our short necked freshwater
turtles, and it is found in sub coastal Queensland from Princess
Charlotte Bay
in the north to Gympie in the south (north of Brisbane in sourh east
Queensland).
by bsabarnowl via
Flickr.com
Eastern
Snake Necked Turtle and New Guinea Long Necked Turtle
These are two long necked turtles and the one found in Cape York is the
New
Guinea long necked turtle Chelodina
novaeguineae, while the other, eastern snake necked turtle
Chelodina longicollis
is found further south, from Whitsunday islands to Adelaide in
South Australia.
Get
this 50 pages
guide totally for FREE.
It
contains information that helps you getting started with planning of your trip.
You get to make early-stages desicions such as when to go, how long time you
should take, how to get
there and get
around, where
to stay (general info), what
will it cost..
and a short insight to what is there to see and do in Cape York.
This complete 300 pages
travel guide is all you need before and during your trip. Besides the
background chapters on the peninsula's history and wildlife; and the comprehensive detail about all
the places (down to prices, opening hours and full contact
detail), it has invaluable information on at least 10 four wheel drive tracks,
at least 30 guaranteed FREE
camping spots on the Cape (and at least 150 on your way to
the Cape), at least 40 best
swimming holes, all mapped; as well as practical things -
from fuel, roads, wireless internet and mobile phone reception,
how to deal with the national
parks booking rules; and Aboriginal land entrance and camping permits
and alcohol restrictions - to vehicle preparation and accessories and necessary recovery
gear by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner).
Not to mention locals'
tips on how to spot that croc and palm cockatoo ;-)
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This site uses British
English, which is the English we use in
Australia.
Disclaimer:
Although
best efforts have been made to ensure that all the information on this
website is correct, this site is not to be blamed should there be a
mistake.
This is the ORIGINAL Cape York Travel Guide run Locally on the Peninsula.