1,500 Bell's turtle hatchlings to be released in Northern Tablelands rivers as part of UNE breeding program

Saving an endangered species, one hatchling at a time. (Lani Oataway / James Paras)

The population of Bell's turtles in the NSW Northern Tablelands is about to get a big boost after researchers incubated 1,500 of them in a lab.  

It has been estimated up to 90 per cent of nests are predated on in the wild, but a University of New England (UNE) program to breed the turtles in captivity has been going from strength to strength.

In 2018, 100 hatchlings were released into local rivers and this year, 15 times that number will be released.

In addition to boosting the local population, researchers said they planned to examine whether recent flooding had an impact on the wild turtle population.

UNE researchers have taken steps to fox-proof riverbanks in the Tablelands. (Supplied: Louise Streeting PHD candidate )

Predators and mother nature

Researcher Eric Nordberg said the breeding project was about making sure the hatchlings could grow up to breed, instead of ending up in a fox's belly.

"We are trying to boost the juvenile recruitment back into river systems, by bypassing that dangerous period when foxes can dig them up," Dr Nordberg said.

UNE researchers have also worked to fox-proof egg-laying sites along the banks of rivers.

But foxes are not the only threat to the turtle eggs in the wild.

Researchers hope incubating the hatchlings in the lab will reduce predation by foxes. (ABC New England North West: Lani Oataway)

Dr Nordberg and his team has also worked to find if recent weather events, particularly flooding, are having a long-term effect on the Bell's turtles.

"Over the last few years we have had extreme weather events including flood. With these turtles laying their eggs in the riverbanks, we're interested to see what impact nests that get flooded has on hatching success".

Hatch and release

As well as the inundation experiments with the eggs, UNE researchers are also assessing the baby turtles health and development before they are released.

As the turtles mature, they will carefully be released back to where the mothers came from — with UNE researchers often recruiting excited schoolchildren in the release of the babies.

PhD candidate Louise Streeting said the number of hatchlings being released was what set UNE's juvenile rejuvenation program apart from other initiatives. 

"I think our project is unique," she said.

Louise Streeting says a record number of Bell's turtle turtles hatchlings will be released this year.

"We have gone for broke this year and produced a huge number of baby turtles and hatched 1,500. That brings us to a grand total of about 2,500 over the past couple of years".