Western Swamp Tortoise ()

The Western Swamp Tortoise

This reptile has been around since 15 to 20 million years ago but sadly is the most endangered animal in Australia.  Even though the population of these reptiles has increased enormously thanks to the efforts by the Perth Zoo there are less than 200 western swamp tortoises left in the wild.  They were thought to be completely extinct until a young boy brought one that he had found crossing the street to a Wildlife Show.

They have a square shaped brown shell and a neck that they tuck inside their shell sideways.  They can be found in swamps made by rain in the north of Perth.  During the winter and spring months these tortoises feast on insects, larvae and tadpoles that they find in and around these swamps.  When the summer comes closer, the tortoises will dig themselves holes where they will go when the water dries up.  The females will lay between 3 and 5 eggs that she will cover while she is in a state of hibernation.  Six months later when the winter rains arrive and flood the holes, the tortoises and their newly hatches babies return to the renewed swamps for another winter.  Only a few babies will survive because they are prey for foxes, birds and cats.  It will take about two full years before these babies are somewhat out of danger  and another 10 years before they are considered mature.  The life expectancy of the western swamp tortoise is  40 to 50 years.

Since the swamp areas have been dried out for housing and agricultural purposes the western swamp tortoises have lost some of their natural habitat.  To help secure these reptiles the government has purchased areas for them now called Twin Swamps and Ellen Brook Nature Reserves.  The Perth Zoo has also a program to breed the tortoises in captivity and return them to the wild.  They have already returned just over 300 tortoises back to nature.

Further Information on the Western Swamp Tortoise:

Bibliography:

http://australian-animals.net/swamp.htm
http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/wa2003.html
http://www.wwf.org.au/articles/feature18/
http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/index.html?wildlife_facts_au_wst.html
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/swamptort.htm
http://www.wildlifebiz.org/bellamy_good_news/35.asp