Recovering Elsie
Elsie is a mascot. A mascot for the White Throated Snapping Turtle Elsaya albagula, a freshwater turtle that occurs only in the Burnett, Fitzroy and Mary Catchments. The Burnett Catchment Care Association BCCA along with a number of partners, collaborators, and other concerned folk have been working together on the recovery of this very important species.
Nesting season for this species generally starts in April and eggs remain in the underground nest in that time ready to hatch in around December of that same year. This is when the turtle is most under threat. They’re unborn offspring become easy food for both native and feral predators, making establishing a large healthy population challenging. BCCA want to get behind the study that’s currently being conducted on these turtles to ensure that their population will continue for generations to come!
To date several nesting areas have been protected using electric fencing and baiting to keep wild dogs and foxes from destroying the nests. This has been made possible thanks to a couple of Green Army and National Green Jobs Corps groups run through IMPACT Make Your Mark in Bundaberg.
Photo left: A male White Throated Snapping Turtle from the Burnett River in 2008. Photo right: This is an important nesting area for the turtles and most threats are kept away from this fence. (Photos L Newman)
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Elsie is now on Facebook! You can find out more about her recovery as a species and even become a fan.
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