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Species outlines
Euroturtle
 


Flatback Sea Turtle
Natator depressus

Habitat and Biology:

Turtle diving | illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM

 

Typical habitats:

  • Inhabits shallow, turbid inshore waters.
  • It has not been seen in the clear waters on coral reefs.

Migrations:

  • Rarely seen away from the Australian coast - an endemic species .

Nesting areas:

  • Mainly in tropical N.W. Australia eastward along the coast of Queensland.
Nesting periods:
  • November and December: lays up to 4 times during the season.
Turtle nesting | illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
Nesting behaviour:
  • Early evening on steep sloping beaches and sand dunes.
Egg number, size and weight:
    • Compared with other species, small - mean 56 eggs.
    • Large mean 51 mm.
Hatchlings | illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM

 

 
Size and weight of hatchlings:
Large (60 mm.)

Incubation time:
  • Mean 53.4 days (47 to 58)
Turtles | illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
Maturity:
  • Not determined but reaches maturity early - possibly due to protein-rich diet.
Turtles mating| illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM

Courtship and Mating:

Off-shore in shallow water

Sex determination:

  • No data

Hatching:

  • Swimming frenzy but no pelagic phase.
  • They remain close inshore.
Hatchling mortality and predation:
  • Egg predation due to introduced foxes, dingos, rats, endemic monitar lizards.
  • Hatchlings predated at night by Rufous night herons which can eat 100% of an emerged clutch.
  • It is the only species found in the nests of white bellied sea eagles which fish inshore.

Commensals and disease:

  • Carapace normally free of barnacles.

Feeding:

Molluscs | illustration: M. Demma © ICRAM
  
 
Molluscs
Sea Cucumber
Hydroids
Soft corals
Illustrations: M. Demma © ICRAM
  • Carnivorous forager.
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