Reptiles - Tropical Turtles

There are not many species of turtles in Australia - only 16 freshwater species and 6 species of sea turtle. Australia has no land tortoises.

(If you should see a reference for a tortoise elsewhere in your searches, there's no need to be confused - aquatic turtles are actually referred to as tortoises in Australia!)

There are four species of freshwater turtle in the Wet Tropics area. A commonly seen turtle is the Saw-shelled Turtle (Elseya latisternum). The shell length (carapace) of an adult is up to 20cm (8 inches) and the tail end of the shell is usually serrated. The neck is of a medium length as opposed to a few other Australian species which are known for their very long necks. The shell colour is brown but much darker specimens have been seen, possibly because of algae growth on the shell. The Saw-shelled Turtle feeds on a variety of material including pandanus fruits, molluscs, crustaceans and fish and it lives in rivers and creeks.