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Croc Hunter's 'Bum-Breathing' Turtle Faces Extinction

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

Although the river-dwelling turtle appears to minimize energy use to make the most of a poor diet, the researchers suggest it is getting a "bum deal" when it comes to food. The turtle's remaining food sources appear to be items most other animals can't -- or won't -- stomach.

Lawler explained that some turtles must make entire meals out of eucalyptus leaves, which can be poisonous to other animals.

"They also sometimes eat cane toads," he said. "We don't know if they eat them fresh, and thus while the toad is toxic, or after it has died in the water and therefore the toxins have leached out."

He and his colleague are currently feeding test turtles, including two other local species, a range of different foods at different temperatures to more precisely estimate the turtles' metabolic rates. They also hope to determine why the turtle doesn't move to other, more food-rich points in the rivers, but they suspect the eating of eggs by predators, such as feral pigs, poses a threat.

In the future, the researchers hope their findings will help inform water management policies, improving the turtle's chances for survival. As if the turtle doesn't face enough hardships already, proposals are now on tap to build a dam at the site, which could wipe out the species.

The Queensland Government has already drafted an environmental impact report that identifies the turtle as being "of high conservation significance." The report further mentions that the dam "would compromise the reproduction and survival of the species," due to the destruction of sandbars used for egg-laying.

Saving the turtle would be a fitting tribute to Irwin, who worked tirelessly on many conservation projects, bringing such otherwise unknown animals to the media forefront.

Lawler said, "one thing that biologists I know often remark upon is that he reached an audience that wasn't receptive to the other naturalists."

"It's really the mainstream that needed to be reached," he added, "and he found a way to do it. That was a valuable contribution."

Related Links:

Discovery News blog: Born Animal

Animal Planet Steve Irwin Fansite

How Stuff Works: Turtles