THIS algae-covered turtle has a hidden talent: it can use its genitals to extract oxygen from water.
It is unusual in other ways, too. Called the Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus), it split off from other living species 40 million years ago and today is found only in the Mary River in Queensland, Australia.
Advertisement
In the 1970s, its nest sites were pillaged for the pet trade, and it remains highly endangered 鈥� not least because individuals don鈥檛 reach sexual maturity until they are 25 years old. These traits put it at number 29 on the Zoological Society of London鈥檚 list of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered reptiles, unveiled last week.
Previous EDGE lists, which rank species by how unusual they are as well as how threatened, have covered mammals, birds and amphibians. The Madagascan big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis) has now shot to the top of the overall list, with the highest EDGE score of any animal. It split from its nearest living relatives 80 million years ago. The reptile list also includes the Chinese alligator and the Round Island keel-scaled boa.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淧unk turtle features in danger list鈥�
