Constant pumping of bore water has been necessary to maintain water levels at Twin Swamps since 2003. In recent years hydroperiods have declined to around three months. The hydroperiod is the period that standing water can be found in the swamps. The best habitat was set aside in 1962, captive breeding began at Perth Zoo in 1988, and a recovery team formed in 1990 was one of the first such groups in Australia. The Western Swamp Tortoise is the most endangered reptile in Australia. PROCEDURE: A retrospective analysis of the husbandry, hospital and pathology records of the western swamp tortoise captive breeding program at Perth Zoo. The western swamp tortoise (Pseudemydura umbrina1), also known as the western swamp turtle, is a short-necked freshwater tortoise that monotypically represents the sister taxa of all other members of the Chelodininae.2 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 References 4 External links Adult males do not exceed a length of 155mm or a weight of 550g. Through the Australian Government, the Threatened Species Network is supporting a community group to protect and restore the habitat of the Western Swamp Tortoise. The Western The Western Swamp Tortoise is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. These tortoises are mainly solitary creatures and do not really interact with each other. Published on Youtube on the 10th anniversary of this video's existence. The main behavioral traits of the Western swamp tortoises have been described below: 1. More than 500 tortoises bred at the zoo have been released into the wild. Weeds, fire and lack of water all affect these unique wetlands. E-mail: tsnwa@wwf.org.au 4. The Western Swamp Tortoise is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Females will lay their eggs, approximately 3 - 5 of them, in November or early December, and then all individuals will seek out an aestivation (dormancy) site. This Act is the main Commonwealth legislation for protecting the environment and conserving biodiversity. The Threatened Species Network is a community-based program funded by the Natural Heritage Trust and managed through the WWF Australia. Teachers, students love learning about the Western Swamp Tortoise. The Western Swamp Tortoise is carnivorous; feeding on things such as crustaceans, insects and larvae. Unfortunately, all sites used for translocations offer increasingly marginal habi… In fact, since 1989, Perth Zoo has bred more than 800 of them, 600 of which have been released to boost their numbers in the wild. The Western Swamp Tortoise is unique, with an ancestry that dates back 15–20 million years. The 24 critically endangered western swamp tortoises were moved from remote wetlands in regional Perth, to Meerup, 360km south of Perth, and Moore river national park, 130km north of Perth. Threats: The Western Swamp Tortoise is the most endangered Australian reptile. 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