Southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Pelochelys
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| Species: |
bibroni
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The southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys bibroni) is a very large softshell turtle. It belongs to a group of turtles called Trionychidae. This amazing turtle lives only in the lowlands of southern New Guinea. Sometimes, a few turtles might swim to the coast of northern Australia, but they don't live there permanently.
The Suki people call this turtle kiya eise, which means "flexible shell." This is because its shell isn't hard like most turtles. The Arammba people call it sokrere, meaning "earthquake." Local villages sometimes hunt these turtles for food, but eating them can sometimes make people sick.
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Where the Turtle Lives: Habitat
The southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle loves to live in lowland rivers and river mouths. These river mouths are called estuaries. It can also live in salty water, like in deltas and large estuaries. This shows it can adapt to different water types.
What the Turtle Eats: Diet
This turtle is mostly a meat-eater, which means it is carnivorous. It mainly eats fish, crabs, and mollusks (like snails or clams). Sometimes, it might also eat some plants.
The turtle is an ambush predator. This means it waits quietly for its food. It spends most of its time at the bottom of the riverbed. It waits there for prey to swim or walk by, then it quickly catches them.
How the Turtle Reproduces: Life Cycle
Southern New Guinea giant softshell turtles usually lay their eggs in September. They often choose the same beaches as the pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta). A female turtle lays between 22 and 45 eggs in one group, called a clutch.
Interestingly, these turtles often lay their eggs in the nests of crocodiles. Scientists think this might be a clever way to protect their eggs. Crocodiles guard their own nests, which could also keep other animals away from the turtle eggs.
Naming the Turtle: Etymology
The second part of the turtle's scientific name, bibroni, is a special tribute. It honors a French scientist named Gabriel Bibron. He was a herpetologist, which means he studied reptiles and amphibians.
Where the Turtle is Found: Geographic Range
This turtle is only found in New Guinea. It lives specifically in the southern part of the island, below the Central Range mountains. For a while, people were confused about where this turtle lived.
Now, we know that the turtles found in South and Southeast Asia are a different species called Cantor's giant softshell turtle (P. cantorii). Also, the turtle in northern New Guinea is the northern New Guinea giant softshell turtle (P. signifera). The areas where these different species live do not overlap.
Even though it's a freshwater turtle, P. bibroni can handle some salt. It is sometimes seen in the ocean near southern New Guinea. Some turtles have even reached the northern coast of Australia. People on the Australian coast see P. bibroni about once every ten years. However, no groups of these turtles have started living permanently in Australia.
What the Turtle Looks Like: Description
The southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle is one of the biggest freshwater turtles in the world. Only a few other types of turtles, like some other Pelochelys, Chitra, Rafetus, and Macrochelys species, are as big or bigger.
This turtle can grow up to 1 meter (about 3 feet) long, measured along its shell. It can weigh as much as 120 kilograms (about 265 pounds).
Its shell is soft and flexible, especially at the back. The turtle can pull its neck and all four of its legs completely inside its shell. It has a wide head with its nostrils at the end of a small, trunk-like nose. Its feet have webs between the toes, like a duck's foot. It has eight webbed toes on its front feet and five on its back feet. Its tail is very short.
Why Eating the Turtle Can Make People Sick
Scientists believe that eating P. bibroni can sometimes make people sick. This sickness is called chelonitoxism. It might happen during certain times of the year. This could be because of what the turtle has been eating during those seasons.
Threatened Status: Is the Turtle in Danger?
The southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle has a natural enemy: the saltwater crocodile (Crocodilus porosus). However, the main reason this turtle is now considered a threatened species is because of human activities.
Local people sometimes hunt these turtles for their meat and eggs. Also, the turtle's shell can be used to make traditional tribal masks. There isn't any large-scale commercial hunting of these turtles. This turtle is less threatened than its northern cousin, P. signifera. The northern turtle also has problems with new types of fish that have been brought into its habitat, which has made its home much worse.
