Loony @ Uncle Seng sent me a link to this very interesting article on the discovery of a bum-breathing turtle (Elseya irwini) which appears to be dying out as a result of human activities.

Image credit: Jason Schaffer.

The late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin and his father Bob first found the turtle after accidentally yanking one up on a fishing line during a 1990 family camping trip. It was later determined that the turtle only lives in two places: the Broken-Bowen River and the lower Burdekin River in Australia.

Although the turtle can take in air from its nostrils, the second breathing method allows it to also absorb air from water that flows in through its behind, via an organ called the cloaca. It can therefore stay underwater for very long periods of time.

And Dr. Ivan Lawler, a JCU ecologist, believes only 5,000 of the turtles exist in the wild today. “It might be that (cloaca breathing) allows them to maintain position in flowing currents while feeding, that it helps them to escape predation or that it allows them to reduce energy expenditure on surfacing and thus get by with a lower-energy diet,” Lawler explained.

The situation of the bum-breathing turtle in Australia is very similar to that of the river terrapins in Malaysia. No doubt, the river terrapins are also found in other countries in South and Southeast Asia, e.g. Bengal, India, along the coast of Burma, Thailand, and Sumatra, Indonesia.

However, it has also been reported that extant populations of the river terrapins no longer occur in Indonesia and Vietnam, while scattered individuals persist in Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, and the viability of populations in Bangladesh and India is doubtful. In fact, Malaysia seems to be the only remaining country that appears to harbour viable wild populations of the river terrapins.

I do not have a figure on the number of river terrapins that can still be found in the wild, but I have a very strong feeling that we do not have as many as 5,000 individuals (gulps!).

Say “NO” to turtle and terrapin eggs campaign

The Turtle Research and Rehabilitation Group of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (yeah, that’s where I go to school) is currently running a year-long campaign to encourage members of the Malaysian public NOT to eat turtle and terrapin eggs.

This campaign has been spurred by disturbing trends that has developed in recent years. Many domestic tourists who arrive in Terengganu buy and eat turtle eggs out of curiosity. Ready markets for turtle eggs in West Malaysia are encouraging the illegal smuggling and poaching of turtle eggs. We hope to let the supply die a natural death by eliminating the demand for turtle eggs by ordinary members of the public.

Our target is to commit at least one million Malaysians to sign a pledge NOT to eat turtle or terrapin eggs for the rest of their lives. Our “Turtle Ambassadors” will approach the public at large to sign the forms presented to them.

What can you do to help?

1. Send an email to turtle@umt.edu.my with the message “I pledge NOT to eat turtle or terrapin eggs for the rest of my life” together with your full name and MyKad number (needed for authentication).
2. Download this Pledge Form (Word doc) and get your family members, school mates, colleagues, neighbours, ex-boyfriends/ex-girlfriends, Facebook and MySpace friends, Twitter followers and anybody else you can think of, to sign the form and then send it back to the address indicated at the bottom of the form. And yes, you can make as many copies of the form as you like.
3. Blog about the campaign — Download the “Help Save Our Turtles” poster (pictured above) and blog about the campaign. Invite your blog readers and visitors to sign the pledge and get them to spread the word too! :D

Thank you very much! :D