Conservationists got some truly exhilarating news when researchers discovered additional nests of the critically endangered white-throated snapping turtle (Elseya albagula). This finding came from a previously unknown population along Baffle Creek, about 88 kilometers north of Bundaberg, Queensland. These turtles are typically found in the Mary, Burnett and Fitzroy Rivers. This region is extremely far removed from their established ranges. Fast forward to March 2025, when the Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) made some pretty thrilling discoveries. They propose that the species can re-colonize and may find unexplored breeding grounds.
Marilyn Connell, a preeminent researcher on the species, called the find encouraging news. “It’s quite a special turtle species and we’re really lucky to have it,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of protecting these areas to ensure the survival of the turtles.
The white-throated snapping turtle, endangered, takes 15 to 20 years for its hatchlings to mature. Sadly, close to 90 percent of their nests are destroyed by multiple threats, greatly impacting survival rates of hatchlings. The situation, as researcher with BMRG, Sydney Collett, emphasized in her public comment, was indeed critical. Without human intervention, hatchlings have almost no chance of survival throughout the nesting process.
Unique Breeding Habits and Challenges
The white-throated snapping turtle boasts a special skill known as “bum breathing.” This most recent trait allows it to breathe through its butt, a unique ability among turtles. This extraordinary adaptation is crucial to their survival and success, and it makes their breeding process unique and challenging. The species employs a bi-phasic incubation method. They time their egg-laying to coincide with winter, but that takes a huge risk for several months since the eggs don’t hatch until the summer.
Collett remarked on the unusual nature of this discovery, stating, “It’s hard to figure out how they would have gotten there naturally because they’d be walking several hundred kilometers if they were coming from another catchment.” It begs the question, how did these turtles get to Baffle Creek? Some scientists think that they might have been domesticated as pets, then turned loose into the wild.
In just the last few years, though, a surprising new habitat at Baffle Creek has opened up new breeding opportunities for white-throated snapping turtles. Collett describes this development as “really exciting and positive.” Despite this good news, she warned that without protections in place for these nests, recruitment into the population would be very limited. “If we didn’t protect nests, which we can do quite successfully now, the recruitment would just be basically next to zero,” Connell asserted.
Importance of Nest Protection
These important new nesting locations highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts focused on protecting these rare turtles. Connell countered that despite the stark population declines, turtles are still strong and resilient. And despite the fact that their ranks are shrinking, they remain incredibly powerful and durable. “…they are able to survive and cling on even at much lower numbers,” she added.
Even though the signs of breeding at Baffle Creek are promising, the odds are still stacked against hatchlings making it through to adulthood. In terms of the annual life cycle, Collett explained that for four to six months after nesting, during which the nests are susceptible to predators. “That means that for four, five, six months, they’re really at risk of [predators] getting to them,” she said.
Finding additional nesting sites is cause for celebration, especially for the white-throated snapping turtle. It highlights the troubles that this wonderful migratory species continues to face. Conservationists are urged to enhance protective measures in areas like Baffle Creek to ensure that these turtles can thrive in their newfound habitat.
