Eastern Saw-shelled Turtle

Fascinating facts about the Eastern Saw-shelled Turtle

• Saw-shelled turtles reach sexual maturity at a straight-carapace length of 125-135 mm in males and 182-189 mm in females, then lay three to four clutches of 9 to 20 eggs each between September and December. Eggs measure about 34 × 22 mm and hatch in roughly 60 days, though incubation shortens in southern regions. These reproductive stats show the species can produce dozens of offspring each season.
• Unlike most native Australian turtles, the saw-shelled turtle can eat the invasive and highly poisonous cane toad (Rhinella marina), a prey that kills many freshwater turtles. When a toad is too large to swallow, the turtle shreds it with its front claws before consumption. This rare ability lets the turtle exploit a new food source.
• In May 2026, a wildlife-trafficking case uncovered three saw-shelled turtles stuffed in socks and hidden in parcels, leading to a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the smuggler. The seizure highlights how even small numbers of this species are targeted by illegal trade.
• Female saw-shelled turtles grow to a carapace length of up to 28 cm, while males rarely exceed about 18 cm. Their shells keep the characteristic marginal serrations for life, a trait that gives the species its common name.
• Like many aquatic turtles, the saw-shelled turtle can extract oxygen directly from water through its skin, cloaca, and buccopharyngeal cavity, allowing it to remain submerged for extended periods.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia
• Mongabay

At a glance

About the Eastern Saw-shelled Turtle

The Eastern Saw-shelled Turtle (Myuchelys latisternum) is a captivating species endemic to the freshwater systems of eastern Australia. Characterized by its distinctive, flattened carapace adorned with saw-like serrations along the edges, this turtle exhibits a striking contrast of earthy browns and greens, allowing it to blend seamlessly with its aquatic surroundings. Typically measuring around 25 to 30 centimeters in length, these turtles thrive in slow-moving rivers, ponds, and swamps, where they can often be seen basking on logs or submerged in their preferred habitats. Their behavior is both fascinating and complex; they are primarily nocturnal, emerging at night to forage for a varied diet that includes aquatic invertebrates, fish, and plant matter. Interestingly, they possess a unique ability to absorb oxygen through their cloaca, a trait that aids in their survival during periods of low oxygen in their watery environments, allowing them to remain submerged for extended periods without surfacing for air, a remarkable adaptation in the face of changing water conditions.

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