This is an Irwin’s turtle basking in the sun

Today I want to write about a very exotic reptile called Irwin’s turtle.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. These amazing turtles have a shell that is about 30 cm long and 24 cm wide, making them the second largest short-necked turtle in Australia.  The females have a distinctive pale head with a horny shield on top.
2. They were discovered as recently as 1997, when the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin caught one while fishing in north Queensland with his father Bob.  He sent photos to a turtle expert who confirmed that it was a brand new species.  That’s why it is called Irwin’s turtle.
3. They have the amazing ability to breathe with their bum.  They can trap air in their bum before they go underwater and extract the oxygen from there, enabling them to stay underwater for hours at a time.
4. They eat snails and plants.
5. Irwin’s turtle is only found in the Bowen and lower Burdekin River in north Queensland.  It is estimated that there are only about 4,000-5,000 in the wild.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about Irwin’s turtle?