Saving our Snake Necked Turtles

News Update 31 July 2023

The City of South Perth has again teamed up 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, including the lakes at Sir James Mitchell Park, are home to populations of the snake-necked turtle which are under threat from a combination of predators, 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.

Understanding how snake-necked turtles interact within their environment and how they are affected by human influences is crucial to ensuring their survival.

Community members with a passion for the natural environment are invited to take part in the Turtle Talks event happening on Thursday 29 August at the City of South Perth Civic Centre in South Perth.

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 which will inform future management actions for snake-necked turtles.

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

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

The event is suitable for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages.