Western Swamp Turtle

They live in swamps.

They are found in only 2 swamps in Western Australia.

Most of the year they sleep in a hole.

They wake when the winter rain comes.

They eat shrimps and worms.

Note: It is sometimes called Western swamp tortoise. Go here to find out about turtles and tortoises.

A surprise discovery!
Western swamp turtles were thought to be extinct, because none had been seen for over 50 years. However, in 1953 a Perth schoolboy brought one to a pet show. A conservationist was there, and the turtle was unfamiliar to him so he investigated further. A search was made, and several more western swamp turtles were found and taken to Perth Zoo. The zoo continues to breed the turtles, assisted by Adelaide Zoo, and each year some Western Swamp turtles are released into the wild.

Physical features
The western swamp turtle has a squarish brown shell about 14 cm long. It weighs about 400 grams.

Behaviour
The western swamp turtle spends the summer months buried in soil and leaves. It becomes active when the winter rains come and the habitat floods.

They are found only in two swamps, both near Perth, Western Australia. The swamps are formed by the winter rainwater staying on the clay ground.

Food
Western swamp turtles eat tadpoles, insect larvae, shrimps and worms, which they find in the shallow water and around the edges of the swamps where they live.

Life Cycle
After the turtles mate in September, the female digs a hole with her front legs, lays 3-5 hard-shelled eggs in a hole which she then covers with leaves and soil. Western swamp turtles are the only kind of turtle or tortoise known to dig with their front feet. Six months later, in the first winter rain, the eggs hatch. The young grow slowly, and take 10-15 years to mature. The turtles live for about 40-50 years.

Conservation status
Although numbers have increased, the western swamp turtle is still Australia's most endangered reptile. There are about 200 in the zoo breeding program, and about 130 now in the wild.

The reasons they became endangered:

swamps have been drained for farming,

drought and bushfires have also reduced their habitat,

they were killed by foxes, and feral dogs and cats.

Authorities have established a safe wild habitat where the zoo-bred turtles are released.

Go here for more information and pictures:

http://www.waza.org/virtualzoo/factsheet.php?id=301-002-008-001&view=Testudinata