The nesting season has come to an end for Elsie, the White Throated Snapping Turtle (Elseya albagula). July sees the end to the turtles coming up onto the Burnett River banks to find suitable locations to prepare their chambers and lay their eggs.
The following months will see us all playing the waiting game until December- January when activity will be abundant as the next generation of White Throated Snapping Turtle will poke their little heads out of the sand and start on their big adventure called life.
.
The White Throated Snapping Turtle project in conjunciton with EPA saw a number of nests protected along the river system. These nests have been protected to try help save this turtle from being predated by wild dogs, foxes and goanna’s. There were 14 nests with protectors on them and 10 more radio taggers purchased to be placed on female E. albagula turtles within the catchment.
So for now we all we can do is sit back and wait for the hatchlings to pop up their little heads from the homes along the river banks. In the meantime as a community we can get behind this turtle and improve its chance of staying of the endangered species list, by pulling together, getting involved and monitoring the turtle nests.