Interpretation of trap bias in sampling freshwater turtles has previously relied on indirect methods. The data presented here provides the first comparison of a sample and total census of a waterbody. Eastern Longneck Turtles Chelodina longicollis Shaw were sampled in a 0.1 ha farm dam for three days immediately prior to drainage and a population census was subsequently carried out. Fyke nets proved to be an effective method of sampling the population. During the sampling phase 78% of males (n = 11) and 81% of females (n = 21) were captured, and there was no significant difference between the sample and the census in terms of population size structure (χ23 = 1.12, excluding juveniles) or sex ratio (χ21 = 0.008). None of the three resident hatchlings were captured despite a high probability of capture (p = 0.67). Hatchlings and juveniles combined made up 19.4% of the population and there were no immature resident females and few immature males. Based on the population profile, recruitment was intermittent and apparently infrequent with the greatest cohort being mature females, although there were no immature females. Mature males were present in larger numbers than immature males.
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) Burbridge, A. A., 1967. The biology of southwestern Australian tortoises. Ph.D. thesis, University of Western Australia: Perth.
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Food of the Snake Necked Turtle, Chelodina longicollis (Shaw) Testudines: Chelidae) in the Murray Valley, Victoria and New South Wales
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) Chessman, B. C., 1988a. Habitat preferences of freshwater turtles in the Murray Valley, Victoria and New South Wales. Aust. Wildl. Res. 15: 485-91.
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) Chessman B. C., 1988b. Seasonal and diet activity of freshwater turtles in the Murray Valley, Victoria and NSW. Aust. Wildl. Res. 15: 267-76.
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) Dalem, A. A. G. R., 1998. Demography and movement patterns of a population of Eastern snake-necked turtles, Chelodina longicollis (Shaw, 1794). M.Sc. thesis, University of Western Sydney-Hawkesbury: Richmond.
Georges, A., 1982 Ecological studies of Krefft's river tortoise, Emydura krefftii (Gray), from Frazer Island, Queensland. Ph.D. thesis, University of Queensland: Brisbane.
Georges, A., 1985. Reproduction and reduced body size of reptiles in unproductive environments. Pp. 311-18 in Biology of Australasian Frogs and Reptiles ed by G. Grigg, R. Shine and H. Ehmann. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton.
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) Georges, A., Norris, R. H. and Wensing, L., 1986. Diet of the Freshwater turtle Chelodina longicollis (Testudines: Chelidae) from the Coastal Dune Lakes of the Jervis Bay Territory. Aust. Wildl. Res. 13: 301-08.
Diet of the Freshwater turtle Chelodina longicollis (Testudines: Chelidae) from the Coastal Dune Lakes of the Jervis Bay Territory
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) Georges, A., Limpus, C. J. and Parmenter, C. J., 1993. Natural history of the Chelonia. Pp. 120-28 in Fauna of Australia Vol. 2A: Amphibia and Reptilia ed by C. J. Glasby, G. J. B. Ross and P. L. Beesley. Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.
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) Kennett, R. M. and Georges, A., 1990. Habitat utilisation and its relationship to growth and reproduction of the eastern long necked turtle, Chelodina longicollis (Testudinata: Chelidae) from Australia. Herpetologica 46(1): 22-33.
Habitat utilisation and its relationship to growth and reproduction of the eastern long necked turtle, Chelodina longicollis (Testudinata: Chelidae) from Australia
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) Legler, J. M., 1960. A simple and inexpensive devise for trapping aquatic turtles. Proc. Utah Acad. Sc. 37: 63-66.
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) Legler, J. M., 1985. Australian chelid turtles: reproductive patterns in wide-ranging taxa. Pp. 117-23 in Biology of Australasian Frogs and Reptiles ed by G. Grigg, R. Shine and H. Ehmann. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton.
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) Parmenter, C. J., 1976. The natural history of the Australian freshwater turtle, Chelodina longicollis. Ph.D. thesis, University of New England: Armadale.
Parmenter, C. J., 1985. Reproduction and survivorship of Chelodina longicollis (Testudinata: Chelidae). Pp. 53-61 in Biology of Australasian Frogs and Reptiles ed by G. Grigg, R. Shine and H. Ehmann. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton.
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) Ream, C. and Ream, R., 1966. The influence of sampling methods on the estimation of population structure in painted turtles. Amer. Midl. J. 325-28.
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) Thompson, M. B., 1983. Population of the Murray River Tortoise, Emydura (Chelodina): the effect of egg predation by the red fox, Vulpes vulpes. Aust. Wild. Res. 10: 363-71.
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) Wong, P. and Burgin, S., 1997. Preliminary observations of the freshwater turtle, Chelodina longicollis (Shaw), in the Longneck Lagoon Catchment (Hawkesbury-Nepean River, New South Wales). Herpetofauna 27(2): 13-16.
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