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Irwin's turtle - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Irwin's turtle

Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	Chelidae
Genus:	Elseya
Subgenus:	Pelocomastes
Species:	E. irwini
Binomial name
*Elseya irwini* Cann, 1997^[1]

Irwin's turtle (Elseya irwini) is a rare species of freshwater turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to Australia, originating from the lower region of the Burdekin River area in northern Queensland, and was named after conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin.

Discovery and etymology

Steve Irwin and his father, naturalist Bob Irwin, caught a female specimen of E. irwini on a crocodile-catching trip on the Burdekin River in 1990, on a fishing line.^[2] Steve Irwin took pictures and sent them to turtle expert John Cann, who verified that it was indeed a new species.^[3] The new species was named after Steve Irwin.^[a]^[1]^[2]^[4]^[5]

Description

The female of the species E. irwini has a pale head with a yellowish horny sheath on the crown.^[6] The pale colour present in the female of this species is due to a lack of multiple pigments which affect essentially all parts of the body.^[7] These individuals are known for their sturdy skull, which is supported by a narrow muscle called the pterygoid, creating a shielding for the skull and providing normal jaw functions.^[8]

Subspecies

E. i. irwini Cann, 1997
E. i. stirlingi Joseph-Ouni et al., 2023

Respiration

E. irwini, like some other turtles,^[9] can breathe underwater by taking water into its cloaca.^{[citation needed]} The cloaca is a cavity at the end of the digestive tract containing a chamber with gill-like structures which allow for the diffusion of oxygen.^[10] Without this structure, this species of turtle would not be able to stay under water for long periods of time. Irwin's turtle needs to live in a source of water that is plentiful with oxygen. If the water has low oxygen levels or is filled with contaminants, the turtle has a lower chance of survival.^{[citation needed]}

Threats

The habitat of the Irwin's turtle has been impacted by the construction of the Burdekin Dam, which has caused a decline in water quality of the Burdekin River, which makes it hard for this species to survive and reproduce. Plans for the construction of Urannah Dam have been opposed, as this would cause further impacts and habitat contraction.^[11]

Habitat and conservation status

E. irwini has been plentiful in Broken River and Bowen Creek. It had not been observed in the Lower Burdekin River in the 20 years preceding May 2022, until its presence was officially confirmed by researchers from James Cook University led by Cecilia Villacorta Rath.^[4]

The species has not been listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) owing to lack of data on the species.^[4]^[12]

In 2023, Steve Irwin's son, conservationist and television personality Robert Irwin announced the first breeding of the turtle for zoological purposes at the Australia Zoo.^[13]

Footnotes

^ Note that some sources state that it was named after Bob, or both Steve and Bob, but John Cann's original 1997 paper says Steve,^[1] and a 2006 Sydney Morning Herald article quoting him confirms this.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Cann, J (1997). "Irwin's Turtle, Elseya irwini sp. nov." (PDF). Monitor: Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society. 9 (1): 36–40.
^ ^a ^b ^c Shanahan, Leo; Sams, Christine (8 October 2006). "Endangered: a living legacy of Steve Irwin". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 May 2022. The first person to catch the irwini was Steve Irwin's father, Bob, on a fishing line during a family camping trip in 1990... Mr Cann said, "I saw the photos and jumped on the telephone because I knew it was a new species and asked Steve if I could do some work on it. He said, 'go for your life'. That's why I named it after him. I think if someone discovers something they should have a reward for it. It's a good legacy for Steve."
^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Elseya irwini, p. 130).
^ ^a ^b ^c Toomey, Jade (5 May 2022). "Bum-breathing Irwin's turtle resurfaces in Queensland river after 20 years, JCU researchers say". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
^ Australian Associated Press (5 May 2022). "Bum-breathing Irwin's turtle detected in north Queensland for first time in 25 years". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
^ Cann, John (1998). "Irwins Turtle Elseya irwini". Australian Freshwater Turtles. Singapore: Beaumont. pp. 195–198. ISBN 0-646-33978-8.
^ Turner, Grant S. (2011). "Hypomelanism in Irwin's Turtle, Elseya irwini, from the Johnstone River, North Queensland, Australia". Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 10 (2): 275–281. doi:10.2744/CCB-0851.1. ISSN 1071-8443. S2CID 84403066.
^ Thomson, Scott; Georges, Arthur; Limpus, Colin J. (1 May 2006). "A New Species of Freshwater Turtle in the Genus Elseya (Testudines: Chelidae) from Central Coastal Queensland, Australia". Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 5 (1): 74–86. doi:10.2744/1071-8443(2006)5[74:ANSOFT]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1071-8443.
^ Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Environment. "Rheodytes leukops – Fitzroy River Turtle, Fitzroy Tortoise, Fitzroy Turtle, White-eyed River Diver". www.environment.gov.au.
^ "Cloaca – Definition, Function and Quiz". Biology Dictionary. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
^ Beeton, Robert (2009). "Advice to the minister for the environment, heritage and the arts from the threatened species of scientific committee" (PDF). Australia: Department of the Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
^ Villacorta-Rath, Cecilia; Espinoza, Thomas; Cockayne, Bernie; Schaffer, Jason; Burrows, Damien (2 May 2022). "Environmental DNA analysis confirms extant populations of the cryptic Irwin's turtle within its historical range". BMC Ecology and Evolution. 22 (1): 57. doi:10.1186/s12862-022-02009-6. ISSN 2730-7182. PMC 9059348. PMID 35501685.
^ Vassell, Nicole (15 October 2023). "Steve Irwin's son Robert Irwin becomes emotional after breeding rare turtle named after late TV star". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved 18 October 2023.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Elseya irwini.

"Irwin's turtle". Department of Environment and Science, Queensland. Environment. 19 October 2021.
"Elseya Irwini - Irwin's turtle". Urannah. 9 October 2020.
"Irwin's Snapping Turtle". National Aquarium. 24 May 2018.
Elseya irwini in the Australian Faunal Directory
Picture of the head of the Elseya irwini
Picture of the shell of the Elseya irwini
Concern for Irwin's bum-breathing turtle | NEWS.com.au
Irwin's turtles at Urannah Archived 4 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine

v t e Steve Irwin
Death
Television	The Crocodile Hunter episodes finale Croc Files The Crocodile Hunter Diaries Bindi the Jungle Girl My Daddy, the Crocodile Hunter Crikey! It's the Irwins Ocean's Deadliest
Film	The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
Family	Bob Irwin (father) Terri Irwin (wife) Bindi Irwin (daughter) Robert Irwin (son)
Related articles	Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Growing Up Wild Irwin's turtle Trypanosoma irwini Crikey steveirwini MY Steve Irwin 57567 Crikey

Side-necked turtle species

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira

Acanthochelys

	Acanthochelys macrocephala Acanthochelys pallidipectoris Acanthochelys radiolata Acanthochelys spixii

Chelus

	Chelus fimbriata Chelus orinocensis †Chelus colombiana

Mesoclemmys

	Mesoclemmys dahli Mesoclemmys gibba Mesoclemmys jurutiensis Mesoclemmys nasuta Mesoclemmys perplexa Mesoclemmys raniceps Mesoclemmys sabiniparaensis Mesoclemmys tuberculata Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei †Mesoclemmys vanegasorum Mesoclemmys zuliae

Phrynops

	Phrynops geoffroanus Phrynops hilarii †Phrynops paranaensis Phrynops tuberosus Phrynops williamsi

Platemys

	Platemys platycephala

Ranacephala

	Ranacephala hogei

Rhinemys

	Rhinemys rufipes

Chelodininae

Chelodina

Chelodina	Chelodina canni Chelodina gunaleni Chelodina longicollis Chelodina mccordi †Chelodina murrayi Chelodina novaeguineae Chelodina pritchardi Chelodina reimanni Chelodina steindachneri
Chelydera	†Chelodina alanrixi Chelodina burrungandjii Chelodina expansa Chelodina insculpta Chelodina kuchlingi Chelodina kurrichalpongo Chelodina parkeri Chelodina rugosa Chelodina walloyarrina
Macrochelodina	Chelodina oblonga

Elseya

Elseya	Elseya dentata Elseya branderhorsti Elseya flaviventralis
Pelocomastes	Elseya albagula Elseya irwini Elseya lavarackorum †Elseya nadibajagu †Elseya uberrima
Hanwarachelys	Elseya caelatus Elseya novaeguineae Elseya orestiad Elseya rhodini Elseya schultzei

Elusor

	Elusor macrurus

Emydura

	Emydura australis Emydura gunaleni Emydura macquarii Emydura subglobosa Emydura tanybaraga Emydura victoriae

Myuchelys

	Myuchelys belli Myuchelys georgesi Myuchelys latisternum Myuchelys purvisi

Rheodytes

	Rheodytes leukops †Rheodytes devisi

Hydromedusinae

Hydromedusa

	Hydromedusa maximiliani Hydromedusa tectifera

Pseudemydurinae

Pseudemydura

	Pseudemydura umbrina

Pelomedusidae

Pelomedusa

	Pelomedusa subrufa

Pelusios

	Pelusios adansonii Pelusios bechuanicus Pelusios broadleyi Pelusios carinatus Pelusios castaneus Pelusios castanoides Pelusios chapini Pelusios cupulatta Pelusios gabonensis Pelusios marani Pelusios nanus Pelusios niger Pelusios rhodesianus Pelusios sinuatus Pelusios subniger Pelusios upembae Pelusios williamsi

Podocnemididae

Erymnochelys

	Erymnochelys madagascariensis

Peltocephalus

	Peltocephalus dumerilianus

Podocnemis

	Podocnemis erythrocephala Podocnemis expansa Podocnemis lewyana Podocnemis sextuberculata Podocnemis unifilis Podocnemis vogli

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2021 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. Key: †=extinct.

Taxon identifiers
Elseya irwini	Wikidata: Q1841008 Wikispecies: Elseya irwini ADW: Elseya_irwini AFD: Elseya_(Pelocomastes)_irwini CoL: 39CY8 GBIF: 5220340 iNaturalist: 39652 IRMNG: 11051411 ITIS: 949503 NCBI: 321139 Open Tree of Life: 952550 Plazi: 3DE85E54-179E-C7BC-4FFE-D8F763DDBACF RD: irwini ZooBank: 048231F9-BC70-4950-B2C9-65D249F50774

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