Description
The saw-shelled turtle, is a species of turtle in the Chelidae family endemic to Australia. The female is considerably larger than the male, with a carapace (shell) up to 28 cm long compared to the males which rarely get longer than about 18 cm. The carapace is roughly oval and broad at the rear. The shell has marginal serrations which are the reason for its name. It retains some of these serrations throughout its life. The carapace is mainly brown to dark brown, commonly with some dark blotches. The plastron (underside) is yellowish.
Habitat
The species occurs along rivers and streams and connected swamps and lagoons from coastal Cape York Peninsula to northern New South Wales, with populations also noted as far south as Newcastle.
Diet
The saw-shelled turtle is carnivorous and feeds on fish, tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects, and is one of the few native Australian animals successful in preying on the introduced cane toad. Toads too large to swallow whole are first shredded with their front claws.
Reproduction
The female saw-shelled turtles’ nest from September to December. They can have three to four clutches in one season consisting of 9-36 eggs which hatch before winter in about 60 days, with the incubation period shortened in southern regions.
