Publication (Media): Rare turtle takes UC academic’s name

Publication Type:	Media Release
Publication Name:	Rare turtle takes UC academic’s name

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Georges, A. and Markwort K. (1998) Rare turtle takes UC academic’s name - Jan 30 1998, CRCFE, Canberra - Media Release.

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January 30, 1998

CRCFE

Rare turtle takes UC academic’s name

A new species of freshwater turtle has been named after University of Canberra academic Arthur Georges -- Elseya georgesi, found only in the Bellinger River of north coastal New South Wales..

The work of Dr Georges, and his colleagues and students, established the Bellinger River turtle as a distinct species. The formal description appeared in the latest issue of Monitor, the journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society.

Dr Georges said that while naturalist John Cann discovered the turtle in 1971, it had only recently been recognised as a new species.

Collaborative work between the University of Canberra, Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Freshwater Ecology and the South Australian Museum, using modern molecular techniques, demonstrated that Elseya georgesi was a member of a sibling species pair. The second form hails from the Manning Drainage some160 km further south.

'This is a rarity', Dr Georges said, "Here we have two species that are so similar that they are difficult to distinguish reliably on external features".

However, a close look at the proteins and DNA structure of these animals revealed that the two turtles were quite different.

This prompted closer examination by Scott Thompson of the Applied Ecology Research Group who found that, below the shell, there were dramatic skeletal differences between the two.

The newly named turtle can be distinguished by the bright yellow streak that runs down the sides of the neck in contrast to the steel grey upper surface of the head and neck. It has a dark brown shell and a marbled, greenish-blue underside.

'The turtle lives in the clear headwaters of the Bellinger,' said Dr Georges, who has dived for them alongside John Cann. 'They are quite secretive animals, which may explain their long period of obscurity.

"They are not often seen swimming, because they rely on good camouflage to ‘hide’ on the bottom once they’ve detected a diver.'

The turtles feed on a wide range of aquatic insect larvae and some fruits and flowers that fall into the water from streamside vegetation.

CONTACT: Dr Arthur Georges'02 6201 5786
Karen Markwort'02 6201 5369

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