Turtle with punk hairdo on endangered species list

Turtle with punk hairdo on endangered species list

What has happened?

Boasting a green, punk hairdo and the unusual ability to breathe through its backside, an Australian turtle has become famous overnight — but not only for its eccentricity. 

Found in: Mary River, Queensland, Australia

Scientific Name: Elusor macrurus

Status: Latest creature to join the “EDGE of Existence” list of endangered species compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) 

Features

Breathing through genitals

• It can breathe underwater through specialised glands in the cloaca — orifices through which the turtle excretes urine and waste, and lays eggs.
• They have specialised organs in their cloaca which process oxygen from the surrounding water
• It is able to spend so much time underwater up to three days without coming up for air due to its strange ability to breathe through its bum
• The Mary River Turtle takes an exceptionally long time to reach sexual maturity, with individuals not breeding before the age of 25 

Distinguishing feature

The bright green, spiky mohawks sprouting on the heads of some

Green Mohawk: It’s algae not hair

Due so much time submerged underwater that some parts become covered in algae 

Reasons for Decline

• According to Australia’s department of the environment, the Mary River Turtle’s rapid decline was sparked by its popularity as a house pet in the 1970s and 80s, known then as the “Penny Turtle”
• Destruction of the creatures’ natural habitat through the building of dams, as well as the collection of its eggs for the pet trade, piled on the survival pressure.

EDGE of Existence Programme of ZSL 

EDGE: Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) 

Aim

• The aim of the EDGE programme is to put these species (EDGE) on the map and catalyse conservation action to secure their future
• To ensure that local stakeholders, governments, and in-country and international conservation organisations take ownership of these forgotten species and commit to ensuring their future survival. 

What is it?

The EDGE of Existence programme is the only global conservation initiative to focus specifically on threatened species that represent a significant amount of unique evolutionary history

What it does?

• Using a scientific framework to identify the world’s most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species, the EDGE of Existence programme highlights and protects some of the most unique and most wonderful species on the planet

EDGE species

• EDGE species have few close relatives on the tree of life and are often extremely unusual in the way they look, live and behave, as well as in their genetic make-up
• They represent a unique and irreplaceable part of the world’s natural heritage, yet an alarming proportion are on the verge of extinction

EDGE Lists

• The EDGE of Existence programme uses EDGE Lists to prioritise species for conservation
• EDGE Lists covers amphibians, birds, corals, mammals, and now reptiles
• Each species is given an EDGE score, which combines extinction risk with how isolated (or unusual) that species is on the Tree of Life, providing an at-a-glance guide to both its evolutionary uniqueness and conservation status. 

ZSL – Zoological Society of London

Tagline: Let’s Work for Wildlife

Founded: In 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity

Mission: to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.