Extract from ABC News
Only about 1 per cent of white-throated snapping turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood. (ABC Wide Bay: Grace Whiteside)
In short:
An environmental group says flooding in Bundaberg earlier this year is preventing endangered riverine turtles from laying their eggs.
WYLD Projects says steep banks, loose sand and low water levels are resulting in extremely low clutch numbers.
What's next?
The group is also concerned the floods have damaged the turtles' food source.
After a record nesting season for an endangered species of turtle last year, it is a "devastating" start to this year's laying after major flooding drastically changed the banks of the Burnett River.
The white-throated snapping turtle, known as milbi in Taribelang Bunda language, is only found in the Burnett, Mary and Fitzroy Rivers in Queensland.
WYLD Projects Indigenous Corporation has been monitoring and relocating turtle nests for the past decade.
WYLD Projects has reinstalled its predator-safe cages after losing infrastructure in the floods. (Supplied: Brad Crosbie)
Last year, it found 187 clutches and was able to relocate 94 to predator-safe cages.
Only 1 per cent of the hatchlings survive to adulthood.
The turtles' historic nesting banks were damaged when the Burnett River peaked at Bundaberg at 7.4 metres in March this year.
Brad Crosbie says the flooding drastically changed the riverbanks. (ABC Wide Bay: Grace Whiteside)
WYLD Projects founder and director Brad Crosbie said the flood had washed away sand in some areas, and dumped it in others.
"[Flooding] impacts the bank angle, which is critical for our turtles to lay," he said.
"It changes the substrate of the historical nesting bank and it removes a lot of vegetation."
Mr Crosbie said the steep banks and loose sand were resulting in extremely low clutch numbers.
Mother turtles are choosing not to nest on the steep, sandy banks. (Supplied: Brad Crosbie)
"We've got 3 metres of loose sand that's now on our banks, which is not ideal for our turtles," he said.
"Turtles have been coming up, trying to nest and just deciding not to."
In past years, WYLD Projects would have relocated about 30 clutches to predator-safe cages by now.
This year, the group had found seven.
Mr Crosbie said he believed low water levels were also contributing to the small clutch count.
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