Australian short-necked turtles facts for kids
Emydura, also known as Australian short-necked turtles, are a group of turtles found in Australia. They belong to the family called Chelidae. These turtles are known for their shorter necks compared to some other turtle types.
Quick facts for kids Australian short-necked turtles |
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| Macquarie turtle Emydura macquarii |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Chelidae |
| Subfamily: | Chelodininae |
| Genus: | Emydura Bonaparte 1836 |
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6, and see text |
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Scientists once grouped Emydura turtles differently. They used to be grouped with another type of turtle called Elseya. However, in 2009, researchers Thomson and Georges decided to split them. This created two new groups: Myuchelys and Elseya.
Contents
About Australian Short-Necked Turtles
These turtles can grow quite large. It is common for them to reach 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) or more in length. They can also live for a long time, usually between 20 and 30 years.
Where They Live and What They Eat
Australian short-necked turtles generally do not hibernate. This is because they live in warmer climates where they can stay active all year. They also spend more time in the water than many other types of turtles.
These turtles are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. However, they need a steady supply of meat to stay healthy. They will eat almost anything that fits into their mouth.
How to Spot an Emydura Turtle
You can often recognize these turtles by a white stripe. This stripe starts at their nose and goes down their neck. They also have a shell that looks a bit more rugged or bumpy.
In Australia, if you want to own one of these turtles, you usually need a basic reptile license. It is strictly against the rules to take these animals from the wild.
Types of Emydura Species
Here are some of the different species and notable subspecies of Emydura turtles. This list is based on recent studies by Georges & Thomson (2010) and Kehlmaier et al. (2019):
- Northern red-faced turtle, Emydura australis, (Gray, 1841)
- Emydura gunaleni, Smales, McCord, Cann, & Joseph-Ouni, 2019
- Macquarie turtle, Emydura macquarii, (Gray, 1830)
- Murray river turtle, Emydura macquarii macquarii
- Krefft's turtle, Emydura macquarii krefftii
- Fraser island short-neck turtle, Emydura macquarii nigra
- Cooper creek turtle, Emydura macquarii emmotti
- Red-bellied short-necked turtle or Jardine River Turtle, Emydura subglobosa, (Krefft 1876)
- Red-bellied short-necked turtle, Emydura subglobosa subglobosa
- Worrell's short-necked turtle, Emydura subglobosa worrelli
- Northern yellow-faced turtle, Emydura tanybaraga, Cann, 1997
- Victoria river red-faced turtle, Emydura victoriae, (Gray 1841)
Images for kids
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Kreftt's river turtle
