Feed the Turtles at Sandgate

Feed the Turtles at Sandgate

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Posted 2013-02-02 by Bee Hewittfollow
Today I discovered something very cool down at Sandgate . I had to pick up my daughter and her 20 month old son Noah from the Sandgate Library .

She shared one of their special places with me. At the little park in the middle of Sandgate there is a largish pond with a quaint sheltered bridge. Sitting on the edge of the pond was a dark out about/Animals of Queensland/Reptiles/Freshwater turtles turtle ', about a foot long with an obscenely long neck. In fact the pond was full of turtles all grappling for bits of bread thrown at them by a young family. Noah got so much enjoyment from watching the turtles.

I started wondering about tortoises and turtles so found this website that lists the differences. In a nut shell, or turtle shell, the tortoise is a land dweller and the turtle the water dweller. The tortoise can live from 80 - 150 years and the turtle 20 - 40 years. The tortoise has a a cup shaped shell and the turtle more flat. Tortoises are herbivores and turtles will eat meat.They are both reptiles and from the Chelonians family.

I was fascinated and spellbound by the feeding frenzy before me. There must have been over fifty turtles, four good sized eels lacing themselves between the turtles, and other species of fish including hundreds of guppies coming up from the murky depths to steal bits of bread.. Every now and then a baby turtle would dart up from below. I saw a few ducks and swamp hens but the pool was 'Grand Turtle Station'. I would have paid to see this spectacle.

The long necked stinker or snake necked turtle (Chelonia longicotlis) turns out to be a tough Australian character with the equivalent survival traits of a cane toad. When threatened it squirts a toxin, from glands under its legs, that stinks and puts off the bravest of predators. Even the eels won't touch a baby turtle. They can survive long drought seasons and floods and can live happily in the sewerage.

Apart from all these not so endearing traits I really enjoyed my visit to the pond and can't wait to go back again with my camera and bag of stale bread. I was charmed by my quick visit to Sandgate and look forward to discovering some more of its secrets.


#things_to_see
#sandgate
#parks
#fun_things_to_do
#free
#animals_wildlife
%wnbrisbane
194579 - 2023-06-16 04:02:09

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