Unusual Pets - Fly River Turtle aka Pig-Nosed Turtle
were discovered outside of the fly riverway
outside of the fly river these turtles
were found living in northern Australia
and reside there still today of course
the aboriginal peoples of Australia knew
these turtles were living there
long before they were classified as such
these people have depictions of the
pig-nosed turtles which are easily
discerned from any other turtle species
because pig-nosed turtles are quite
unique it would be completely fair to
call pig-nosed turtle something like a cross between a softshell turtle and a
sea turtle.
like softshell turtles pig-nosed
turtles don't have
scoots along their carapace this is a trait shared with the leatherback sea
turtle
which we discussed in our sea turtle
episode unlike softshell turtles
however
pig-nosed turtles have front flippers
like a sea turtle
they can even tolerate saltwater and
may be found living in estuaries
though generally, they do prefer fresh
water pig-nosed turtles
live in rivers swamps mangroves lakes
waterholes and lagoons they like either
sandy or rocky bottom
areas with lots of debris to hide in
this debris can include sunken logs
leaf litter exposed tree roots and more
these turtles also enjoy features like
undercut banks
under which they can seek refuge
pig-nosed turtles aren't small and
helpless though
these turtles average just over one and
one-half feet in length
and have even been known to reach two
and a quarter feet long
they weigh in at 44 pounds on average
which is similar to a snapping turtle
the only threats to adult pig-nosed
turtles include predation by crocodiles
and hunting by humans their nests may
also, be trampled.
fly river turtle nests can be found
along the banks of rivers and
even along some coastlines female fly
river turtles will emerge at night
during the dry season from July to
November to lay their eggs
these turtles tend to be nocturnal in
nature anyway and aren't built for much
movement on land
they don't bask like pond sliders but
they are excellent swimmers thanks to
their large front flippers
the ladies will often be seen in large
groups to lay their eggs in nests they
dig in the sand
these nests may contain anywhere from
seven to forty eggs depending on the
turtle's location
more eggs tend to be laid by more
northern living fly river turtle
individuals
the eggs are covered and develop but
don't immediately hatch after
development completes
the babies will remain tucked away until
the nest floods with the onset
of the rainy season often these nests
will be rated for
food or the pet trade but pig-nosed
turtles don't thrive in captivity
and many won't survive after they hatch
the young turtles will take to the water
and seek out food in the form of snails
small fish insect larvae shrimp crayfish
and more as they get older these turtles
will begin to eat more plant-based
foods like aquatic weeds and fruits that
have fallen into the water
how old they live in the wild is
currently unknown
for more facts on fly river turtles
check out the links in the description
thank you to wishiwushi and charlie for
today's request
give a thumbs up if you learned
something new today and thank you for
Reading
