Echidnas caught eating the eggs of endangered turtles

March 14, 2024 1:56 PM

Echidnas caught eating the eggs of Queensland's bum-breathing turtles, potentially endangering the reptile's future. Echidnas are known for laying eggs and eating ants, but it turns out a few have developed a hunger for the eggs of endangered turtles. There are six different species of freshwater turtle found in the Fitzroy, Burnett and Mary catchments. But it's the two threatened species that breathe oxygen underwater through their bums, whose eggs have been most predated by echidnas. Ms Robinson said the the difference in depredation might be because the Fitzroy River turtles' burrows are shallower. The distance from the burrow opening to the top egg is just 14.2 centimetres (5.5 inches) which is about the same length as an echidna beak.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (13 comments total)

I learned a surprising amount from this article. Thanks.

Echidnas, you’re so cute, but you’re also little bastards.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:00 PM on March 14 [2 favorites]

If anyone else wanted more about the bum breathing, peep this article on the subject:

In the cold of winter, turtles enter a state of brumation. Brumation is essentially the same as hibernation, but reptiles brumate while mammals hibernate.

During brumation, turtles don't require much oxygen, but what they need they can't get by breathing like they do in the warmer parts of the year, according to the McGill University Office of Science and Society(Opens in a new window). Instead, they use another form of respiration, which is kind of like breathing through their butts.

The technical term for this butt-breathing is cloacal respiration, and it's not quite like the breathing you do, or even like turtles do when they are above water, the university Office of Science and Society reports.

Through cloacal respiration, turtles get oxygen from the water by moving the water over their body surfaces covered in blood vessels. Turtles have a cloaca, which is essentially their butt, that has a lot of blood vessels, so the most efficient way to get oxygen is through the cloaca, hence the term cloacal respiration.

posted by fight or flight at 2:11 PM on March 14 [4 favorites]

how the giant tortoise got its scientific name
posted by MonsieurPEB at 2:25 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]

How many cute but assholish animals does Australia have? :)
posted by drewbage1847 at 2:26 PM on March 14 [4 favorites]

Echidnas caught eating the eggs of Queensland's bum-breathing turtles, potentially endangering the reptile's future.

are we certain that chariot pulled by cassowaries isn't some custom-built ChatGPT just pumping out combinations of incredibly pleasing words that hit the bullseyes of our unique brain pleasure centres? because it do feel that way at times

(I do not mean to disparage your posts at all, if that is not clear. Thank you)
posted by elkevelvet at 2:30 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]

Clearly the turtles stole the Master Emerald.
posted by Servo5678 at 2:34 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]

My SO informed me a few days ago our tortoise drinks through her bum. My mind is now double blown. Poo, pee, mate, drink, breath… what can’t tortoises do through their bums!?
posted by rubatan at 2:43 PM on March 14

This is a great post, OP, thanks!
posted by Bella Donna at 3:35 PM on March 14

I finally have a retort for when someone calls me a mouth breather!
posted by hippybear at 3:57 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]

For anyone with any interest in ecology, I highly recommend reading 'Song of the Dodo.' There's a lot in there on mechanisms of extinction - you end up with big 'strategic' causes (often some flavor of habitat loss or overhunting by humans) creating smaller, more isolated populations. The isolated populations, in turn, are far more vulnerable to being wiped out by 'tactical' problems - some random predation, reproductive failure, etc.
posted by kaibutsu at 4:23 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]

Reptiles brumate while mammals hibernate.

And Trogdor, of course, burninates.
posted by The Bellman at 4:57 PM on March 14 [2 favorites]

So basically they use their cloaca like a rudimentary gill
posted by timdiggerm at 1:29 PM on March 15

"Let them fight."
posted by groda at 6:11 AM on March 17