Ectoparasitic and ectocommensal macroinvertebrates (epibionts) of turtles have received limited attention with species from most Australian chelids poorly known. In this paper we present observations on the taxa collected from the widespread and abundant Australian freshwater species Chelodina longicollis Shaw, the Eastern Long-necked Turtle, sampled from farm dams in North Western peri-urban Sydney. Twelve epibiont taxa were collected, with the most commonly encountered species being the leech Placobdelloides bancrofti McKenna and a chironomid. Encounter rates varied over winter, and with carapacal algal mass, and farm dam. In contrast, they do not show a preference based on turtle sex. Since C. longicollis of different size and sex show habitat selectivity within farm dams (Ryan and Burgin 2007), epibiont distribution is not due merely to opportunism.
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Research-Article|
February 07 2013
Epibionts of the Australian Eastern Longnecked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis Shaw) from farm dams
Shelley Burgin;
Shelley Burgin
1
Mirvac School of Sustainable Development, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, 4229
2
School of Natural Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, Australia, 2751
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Judith Betts
Judith Betts
2
School of Natural Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, Australia, 2751
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Australian Zoologist (2012) 36 (2): 153–158.
Citation
Shelley Burgin, Judith Betts; Epibionts of the Australian Eastern Longnecked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis Shaw) from farm dams. Australian Zoologist 1 January 2012; 36 (2): 153–158. doi: https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2012.015
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