Donatello's habitat 

The Murray River turtle

One of our students, Raff, caught Donatello doing what he does best, posing for the camera.

The Murray River turtle, is a species of freshwater turtle also known as the Macquarie River turtle. They are a hardy freshwater reptile native to the rivers and wetlands of the Murray Darling Basin, Australias largest river system, in eastern Australia. 

As opportunistic omnivores (eats a variety of both plant and animal), they play a vital "vacuum cleaner" role in their ecosystem by scavenging dead fish and consuming aquatic plants, insects, and molluscs, which helps maintain water quality.

Unlike many other Australian freshwater turtles, it has a notably short, sturdy neck and a narrow underside (plastron) that allows its legs to move freely for powerful swimming. 

Although they are often seen basking on logs, they are highly aquatic and rarely leave the water except to travel between bodies of water or to nest on riverbanks between October and January. 

Despite their longevity—living up to 50 years—they are currently listed as endangered, largely due to habitat loss and predators such as the introduced red fox, which is not native to Australia.

There are 77,000 kilometres of rivers in the Murray–Darling Basin that stretch from mountain ranges into arid and semi-arid environments.

Water movement in theBasin supports resilient communities, economic growth, the continuation of culture for First Nations peoples and healthy rivers and wetlands.