The Fitzroy River Turtle: Australia's underwater breathing legend

What Aussie animal can stay underwater for hours, lives only in one special river system, and breathes through its bum? Meet the one-of-a-kind Fitzroy River turtle—a freshwater wonder with some pretty wild adaptations!

Where they live

The Fitzroy River turtle is found nowhere else on Earth except in the Fitzroy River catchment in central Queensland. That means it’s endemic—a fancy word for “only lives in one place.” It prefers clear, flowing rivers with rocky bottoms and underwater places to hide, like tree roots and boulders.

Sadly, that home is under threat from water pollution, damming, and introduced predators. But thanks to researchers and turtle-loving communities, we’re learning more about how to keep this rare reptile safe.

Yes, it breathes through its bum!

This turtle is famous for its unusual ability to breathe through its bottom—and yes, that’s a real scientific fact! It has special internal structures in its cloaca (that’s a chamber near its tail) which act like gills, taking in oxygen from the water.

This lets the turtle:

• Stay submerged for hours or even days at a time

• Avoid predators by hiding underwater

• Survive in fast-moving rivers without coming up for air too often

Turtle time: life, love and growing up

How long do they live?

Fitzroy River turtles are in it for the long haul. While we’re still learning about their full lifespan, researchers estimate they can live for over 50 years in the wild if conditions are right. But they’re in no rush. These turtles grow slowly and take a long time to become adults—up to 15 years before they’re ready to mate!

Do they mate for life?

These turtles aren’t romantics. They don’t mate for life, and there’s no long-term turtle “coupling.” During the breeding season, which usually starts in spring, males will compete for females, and mating can happen more than once.

Female turtles dig nesting holes in sandy riverbanks and lay around 10–15 eggs. They don’t stick around to raise the babies—once the eggs are laid and covered, it’s up to the sun and soil to keep them warm until hatching time.

Baby turtles – on their own from day one

The little hatchlings break out of their eggs after about 60–80 days and head straight for the water. They're completely independent—no babysitting here! Sadly, many young turtles don’t survive due to predators like birds, goannas, foxes, and even feral pigs.

That’s why protecting nesting sites and riverside habitat is so important.

Are they social creatures?

Fitzroy River turtles are mostly solitary. You might see a few basking on the same log or sharing a quiet river pool, but they don’t live in family groups or form turtle teams. Most of their interactions happen during breeding season.

They communicate in subtle ways—like body movement and water vibrations—but they’re not loud or chatty like kookaburras or cockatoos!

Why they matter

Even though they’re quiet and rarely seen, Fitzroy River turtles are important for keeping rivers healthy. They eat algae, water plants, and small invertebrates, helping to balance the ecosystem. They're also an indicator species—meaning when they’re doing well, it's a sign that the river is too.

Pic: Fitzroy River turtle. Photo by Craig L, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.