AUSTRALIAN FANTASY ADVENTURES

STEVE IRWIN’S NAMESAKE

Steve Irwin was an inspiration. To say that he had a way with animals would be an understatement, and it wouldn’t come close to describing the innate connection he had with the natural world and animals that live in it. This week we are going to take a look at a very unusual and endangered turtle, which is named after Steve Irwin.

Meet Irwin’s Turtle (Elseya irwini)

Photo credit: George Graff – National Aquarium

This turtle was discovered by Steve Irwin and his father, Bob, in 1997.

Irwin’s Turtle can only be found in only one river on the continent of Australia in Southern Queensland. However, one of these turtles lives at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland.

Photo credit: Jeff Tan

Not a lot is known about this turtle, but we do know that it eats snails and vegetation and can grow to a length of eleven inches. They are dimorphic (two different forms – color or size of a species). The male turtle is usually half the size of the female. Another pronounced difference between the male and female, is the pale head and pink nose of the female. Also, her head is covered by a horny sheath. You can see this clearly in the above picture taken by George Graff at the National Aquarium.

Photo credit: George Graff – National Aquarium

There is concern that Irwin's turtle could become extinct due to the building of a dam at the upper portion of the river system in which it lives. At the current time, the number of estimated individuals is 5,000-6,000. There is much controversy in Australia about the status of this unusual turtle and the threat that the dam poses. "The Threatened Species Scientific Committee did state that the species restricted range and demographic characteristics suggest that the populations may collapse." (Threatened Species Scientific Committee, 2009. Elseya irwini (Irwin't Turtle) Listing Advice.)

Many of you probably watched ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ on television. I certainly did. He played an enormous part in helping people connect with animals and understand their behavior. We learned a lot from watching him and we felt and shared the enthusiasm he had—it was contagious. I trust that Australians will do all they can to ensure the survival of Steve’s namesake, Elseya irwini, Irwin’s Turtle.