Head to head
Northern River Terrapin vs Mary River Turtle
Northern River Terrapin
VS Mary River Turtle
The northern river terrapin of South Asia and the Mary River turtle of Australia are two large river turtles whose numbers have been cut by hunting and collecting.
| Northern River Terrapin | Mary River Turtle | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Batagur baska | Elusor macrurus |
| Size | A shell that can reach around 60 cm in length | A shell of up to about 50 cm and a weight around 8 kg |
| Diet | Mainly fruit, leaves, aquatic plants, and mangrove vegetation | Algae, aquatic plants, and fallen fruit, along with sponges, insect larvae, molluscs, small crustaceans, and carrion |
| Habitat | The lower reaches of large rivers, in estuaries and tidal channels, moving between fresh and brackish water | Flowing, well-oxygenated stretches of the Mary River with sandy or rocky bottoms and abundant aquatic vegetation |
| Breeding | Females crawl onto sandbanks to dig nests, where the eggs are vulnerable to collectors and predators | Does not breed until around 25 to 30 years old, so losing a generation of hatchlings leaves a long gap |
| Range | Estuaries and tidal rivers in eastern India and Bangladesh | Only the Mary River and its tributaries in south-eastern Queensland, Australia |
| Threats | Hunted for its meat and eggs for centuries, and its estuaries were dammed, fished, and cleared | Hatchlings were collected by the tens of thousands in the 1960s and 70s and sold as penny turtles |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, and decreasing | Endangered |
Northern River Terrapin vs Mary River Turtle: common questions
Which turtle breathes through its cloaca?
The Mary River turtle, which can take up oxygen from the water through blood-rich sacs inside its cloaca.
Which one has a punk hairstyle?
The Mary River turtle, whose head can grow an upstanding crest of algae, giving it the nickname punk turtle.
Which one is Critically Endangered?
The northern river terrapin, while the Mary River turtle is Endangered.