With its punk rocking chair barnet and rather strange power to breathe underwater through its genitalia , the Mary River turtle is not like most of us . Unfortunately , however , a new assessment shows that it is also struggle to survive .
The unorthodox turtle has made it onto a new list ofEvolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered ( EDGE ) reptiles , highlight not only its uniqueness but also its vulnerability . It will join the like of more well - known reptile , such as the world ’s largest species of turtleneck , the leatherback , as well as some less familiar but equally fascinating creature , such as a chameleon the size of a human thumbnail .
“ Reptiles often receive the short end of the stick in preservation condition , compared with the likes of birds and mammals,”explainedRikki Gumbs , who coordinated the list and led a newPLOS ONEpaper on what was found . “ However , the EDGE Reptile List foreground just how unique , vulnerable , and astonishing these creature really are . "
Their fancy hairdos – due to algae that grow on their heads and shells – and the fact they are pretty chilled most of the time meant that the turtles were popular in the favored deal during the 1960s and 1970s . In fact , Mary River turtleneck were keep as deary in Australia for over 20 years before they were formally described as a new metal money .
By being able-bodied to exchange atomic number 8 over their cloaca , which in reptilian is the individual orifice that functions as both the butt and the private parts , the turtleneck can stay submerged for an impressive three daylight .
But it seemed that even their venereal - ventilation superpowers could n’t save the turtles from hurtling towards experimental extinction as the assemblage of their eggs for the pet trade took its toll . Now sort as endangered , they make the EDGE lean at number 30 , having split up from all other livelihood creatures some 40 million year ago when Australia was still clinging on to Antarctica .
The tilt has been compiled by the Zoological Society of London , who havealready created standardised onesfor mammal , birds , amphibian , and corals . top the EDGE reptilian list is the Madagascan handsome - maneuver polo-neck , which sit alone on its subdivision of the evolutionary tree that split off an incredible 60 million days ago .
“ Just as with tigers , rhinos , and elephants , it is critical we do our utmost to save these unique and too often overlooked animals , ” said Gumbs . “ Many EDGE Reptiles are the lonesome survivors of ancient line of descent , whose branches of the Tree of Life stretch out back to the age of the dinosaurs . If we lose these species there will be nothing like them left on Earth . ”
