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The risk of inter-specific competition in Australian short-necked turtles

  • Original Article
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Ecological Research

Abstract

Freshwater turtles are threatened globally; however, short-necked turtles in Eastern Australia have been particularly successful in exploiting natural and man-made permanent water bodies. The catchments of eastern Australia offer a unique opportunity to compare the diets of species in habitats where both genera co-exist, but only one genus is usually locally dominant. We compared the diets of species of Emydura and Myuchelys and Flaviemys in inland and coastal catchments in eastern Australia to determine the breadth of diets. We also conducted a more in depth study of the ecology and habitat preferences of the Bellinger River Emydura (Emydura macquarii macquarii) and Myuchelys georgesi. We found that diets of short-necked turtles on the east coast of Australia are separated by water conditions, and largely independent of species and location. Species of Myuchelys and Emydura are omnivorous. A high proportion of their food is from benthic macro-invertebrate communities in clear water. Terrestrial invertebrates and filamentous algae are present more in the diets of species inhabiting turbid water. Competition between species of Emydura and Myuchelys/Flaviemys is likely to occur when in sympatry, because species of Emydura can adapt their diets to various habitats and water quality. Myuchelys georgesi is restricted to, but common in, the Bellinger River. Interspecific competition may occur between E. m. macquarii and M. georgesi because of similar habitat preferences, diets and life histories. Emydura m. macquarii is not unique to the Bellinger River and hybridization with the endemic M. georgesi is a threatening process.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by an ARC Linkage Grant and by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Bellingen Landcare Group through the Fox Threat Abatement Plan. Surveys were conducted under QPWS and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Permits (B1313), University of Canberra and University of Sydney Animal Care and Ethic Committee approval (ACEC # L04/12-94/2/2017) and NSW Fisheries License number F86/2050. We thank C. Limpus (QPWS) and S.Hull (NPWS) assisted in finding sites and fieldwork. We also thank M. Welsh, M. Page, S. Blamires, B. Nesbitt, D. Booth, F. Seebacher, P. King, T. Scanlon, A. Harber, T. Prior, and local volunteers for their help with field work. We thank A. Hickey, J. and N. Ralph, D. Browning, L. Lemke, P. Kinmon, S. Eyre, J. Kramer, P. Krug, Dreamtime, Kandahar, and Homelands Communities, and Orama Public School for access to the Bellinger River.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water and Wildlife Ecology Group, School of Science and Health, Hawkesbury, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, South Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia

    Ricky-John Spencer & Adele M. Reid

  2. Institute of Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Arthur Georges & Mick Welsh

  3. School of NRSM, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia

    Dorothy Lim

Authors
  1. Ricky-John Spencer
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  2. Arthur Georges
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  3. Dorothy Lim
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  4. Mick Welsh
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  5. Adele M. Reid
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Correspondence to Ricky-John Spencer.

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Spencer, RJ., Georges, A., Lim, D. et al. The risk of inter-specific competition in Australian short-necked turtles. Ecol Res 29, 767–777 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-014-1169-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-014-1169-7

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