Saving our Snake Necked Turtles

The City of South Perth has joined forces with Murdoch University and the South West Metropolitan Alliance to participate in the Saving Our Snake Necked Turtle project.  

Many of the City’s wetlands are home to populations of the snake-necked turtle which are under threat from a combination of predators, such as foxes and ravens, vehicle strikes on our roads and lack of suitable nesting habitat. 

The City has committed to a partnership that will provide the community with opportunities to help save the snake-necked turtles. 

Community members with a passion for the natural environment are invited to take part in the project. 

Participants will learn about turtles and hear the latest research, contribute to crucial citizen science using the TurtleSAT app, and get the chance to become a Turtle Tracker, protecting nesting females and their nests. All of this will help inform future management actions for snake-necked turtles. 

City of South Perth Mayor Greg Milner said understanding how snake-necked turtles interact within their environment and how they are affected by human influences was crucial to ensuring their survival.

“Wildlife conservation is one of the most important ways in which we can help to protect the natural environment and the species with in it for our future generations,” Mayor Milner said.

“The Saving Our Snake Necked Turtle project empowers members of our community to become citizen scientists, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to help save our snake-necked turtles by training to become a ‘Turtle Tracker’. 

“‘Turtle Trackers’ learn how to track nesting females, protect their nests, and log this data on the TurtleSAT app, while enjoying our beautiful natural wetlands.”

Participants also join a network of hundreds of citizen scientists across the turtle’s range making a real difference to this species under threat. 

To learn more, register to attend the Turtle Information Talk, and if you want to become a ‘Turtle Tracker’ also attend the Training session:

• Turtle Information Talk 10.30am-12pm Wednesday 2 August
• Turtle Tracker Training 10.30am-12pm Wednesday 30 August

For more details, please see our Events page.

Images from a recent turtle release:

In the past, the City has worked closely with Turtle Oblonga Rescue and Rehabilitation Network (TORRN) to ensure any snake-necked turtles found at local parks or wetlands are in good health before being returned to their natural environment. In June 2023, a group of Clontarf Aboriginal College students came across the tiny turtle hatchlings while taking part in a Christian Service Learning activity at Cygnia Cove. Almost 20 snake-necked turtle hatchlings were rescued and cared for by TORRN volunteers, who later returned to Sandon Park to release the young turtles the help of Clontarf students.