Freshwater turtles, common in farm dams, creeks, and wetlands across Australia, often travel over land when water sources dry up or during breeding season.

However, fences pose a significant obstacle, trapping turtles, causing entanglement, overheating, or even death.

A recent study in Armidale, New South Wales, used GPS trackers on 20 adult eastern long-neck turtles to analyze how different fence types impact their movement.

The study found that turtles frequently encountered fences and sometimes had to walk long distances to find a crossing.

Chicken wire, with its small mesh, was particularly problematic, while damaged fences often provided unintentional gaps for turtles to pass through.

The research suggests simple, cost-effective solutions for creating turtle-friendly fences.

These include using wider mesh, elevating the bottom of the fence to at least 50mm off the ground, or installing wildlife-specific gates.

Such measures would help turtles and other wildlife move more freely through agricultural landscapes, reducing the risks posed by current fencing designs.

To read the full article in The Conversation, please click here.