Mary the Turtle reveals secrets of the river

Associate Professor Deb Bower (holding Mary the turtle) and research assistant Anna Probert on the Darling River at Bourke. Inset: Mary with a transmitter attached to her shell. Photo TWH

A research project tracking turtles down the Darling River is revealing the secret life of the wildlife most of us never see.

Associate Professor of Zoology from the University of New England, Deb Bower, is at Bourke collecting data from turtles and said they were an important part of the river’s ecological story.

The study of the Murray River turtles found in the Darling is part of a joint research project with the Department of Planning and the Environment and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office.

The secret life of the turtles is captured on electronic transmitters attached by an epoxy glue to the shell of the turtle and sent to a series of receivers in the waters of the river, enabling the researchers to track their habits and movements up and down the river system. […]

Read more local news in the printed edition of The Western Herald.

To subscribe call (02) 6872 2333 today and receive The Western Herald in your letterbox next week!