Search Dictionary
Definition of mary river turtle
mary river turtle
Plural:mary river turtles
mary river turtle Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
Australian An endangered species of short-necked turtle endemic to the Mary River in south-east Queensland, Australia, notable for its ability to extract oxygen from water through its cloaca and occasionally sporting a green algal mohawk.
Example
"Conservationists are working tirelessly to protect the nesting sites of the Mary River turtle from introduced predators along the riverbanks."
Word Origin & Etymology
Named after the Mary River in Queensland, Australia, which is its only known natural habitat. The species was formally described by science in 1994, though hatchlings were widely sold in the Australian pet trade in the 1960s and 1970s as 'penny turtles'.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mary river turtle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mary river turtle