The turtles, named after Steve Irwin and his father, Bob, had not been spotted in the Burdekin River since the 1990s
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DNA detection methods from water samples in north Queensland have unearthed the existence of a “bum-breathing” species of turtle last seen in the region more than 25 years ago.
James Cook University researchers analysed environmental DNA (eDNA) from the water in the Burdekin River, near Ayr, confirming the presence of Irwin’s turtles across numerous sites.
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