Local lake turtle

There are more than 20 species of freshwater turtles in Australia and they are found in most of our freshwater lakes and rivers. The most common turtles in South Australia are the Long-necked Turtle Chelodina longicollis and the Macquarie or Murray Short-necked
Turtle.

Here is my shot of a very shy long-necked turtle in the Playford Lake today. He would not fully reveal himself, or herself, as this is the closest to surfacing that was on offer.

Bigger eye.

Turtles live in water and on land, and lay eggs in nearby sand or soil. They are reptiles and regulate their body temperatures through their behaviour, including basking on banks of waterways.

So far I have never been able to catch a Playford Lake turtle actually out of the water. They are elusive and I hope to catch one on land or on a log one day. At the moment that is one of my dream shots for 2014.