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Collecting your own tortoise is an enjoyable experience and is the only sure way of obtaining a healthy pet. But as tortoises are now protected by law in most states, it is necessary to contact the wildlife department in you state to learn of any restrictions before proceeding. Trapping, netting and fishing for toroises also comes under Fisheries Department regulations and permission must also be obtained before employing any of these methods.

Occasionally toroises can be collected with little effort - when the water is clear and slow moving or when the water level drops far below normal. But it is a different proposition when you stand on the edge of a large reed covered lagoon, or on the banks of a muddy river, watching the small dark heads break the surface momentarily, only to disappear at the slightest moment.

Collecting Emydura from Grafton Flats, NSW.

Binoculars are a handy accessory for collecting or observing tortoises. From a concealed position on the bank it is possible to scan the water's edge and the protruding logs to find the areas tortoises frequent. If the water is not clear it will still be difficult to collect the toroises once they have been observed, but one method occasionally produces successful results. If the tortoise sees or hears you when it is basking on a log, it will immediately seek safety in the water. But if this procedure is repeated several times, it will often rest beneath the surface in the shallows near or below its basking spot, perhaps beneath the log itself or among weeds. With luck you may be able to feel for and hold it with your hands or feet.

By revisiting the banks after dark it is often possible to surprise a tortoise asleep on the edge, or in the shallows, by using a strong torch. Providing the tortoise has not been disturbed by a careless approach, it is easily scooped up with the help of a hand net.

Diving for tortoises can be straightforward as long as the water is reasonably clear. Snorkel, facemask and flippers are the main assets for the diver, although a lead belt can be beneficial as it enables you to move freely beneath the water and to remain submerged without creating a major disturbance. Care must be taken to ensure that the flippers do not unduly disturb the surface while swimming, particularly when you begin to dive. If you are diving in a slow moving stream, it is advisable to swim upstream to prevent the disturbed sediment affecting your vision.

Once a tortoise has been spotted near cover it is not advisable to move directly towards it. Before attempting capture, pretend to swim past slowly until you are closer to the tortoise. A tortoise attempting to escape will often swim down-stream along the bottom, stirring up as much mud or sand as possible. After some ten metres it will usually turn, stop and rest, relying on the clouded water for protection. A tortoise collected while diving can be carried in the water in a bag or tied to your belt. Only a capable swimmer should attempt to dive in areas where there are snags and weeds, for there is danger in this method of collecting.

Fishing is another effective method of collection, but a license must first be procured from the Fisheries Department, or a Fisheries Inspector in the area, as is the law for any form of freshwater fishing. Fishermen, much to their annoyance, often have more success in hooking tortoises than fish. Therefore enquiries among local fishermen will usually show where tortoises are to be found in greatest numbers. Although it is quite simple to catch tortoises with a hook, it is cruel. Meat tied on the end of a line combined with a hand net is slower but more humane. Once a tortoise has been caught and there is difficulty in removing the line from the from the throat, the line can be cut at the mouth and left for the tortoise itself to eliminate using its digestive system.

A drag net will give reasonable results under certain conditions, especially in receding lagoons. But the net should be kept as close to the bottom as possible, for the tortoises will usually attempt to avoid it by burrowing in the mud.

Another method of collecting tortoises which is often successful where other mothods show negative results, is the use of wire traps somewhat similar to crayfish traps. Traps are easily made from standard bird wire. For ease of transport it is practicable to carry a roll of wire and construct the traps on location. The trap should be roughly the size and shape of a 200 litre (forty four gallon) drum and can be supported by two sticks, crossed and tied in the centre. The entrance for the tortoise is made by snipping a 25cm horizontal cut intersected by a 15cm vertical cut; this is pressed slightly inwards so a 5cm hole exists. It is relatively simple for a tortoise to force its way in, but returning by this same entrance will prove far more difficult.

Fish or meat encased in a smaller cage and secured within the trap is the best means of attracting the tortoises, but if these are not available bread will sometimes work. The trap can be tied to the bank or suspended from a tre or branch overhanging the water, but at least 5cm of the trap must protrude from the water to enable the captive tortoise to surface for air. Once the traps are set they should be checked at six-hourly intervals.

Another type of trap consists of a floating platform encircling a central wire-netting enclosure. Tortoises climb on to the platform via a sloping ramp and enter the trap in a bid to reach the bait (meat or fish) suspended in the centre.

Another method for collecting tortoises would be the use of an artificial breathing aid. Some have used scuba equipment in the hunt of the Pig-nose Turtles. However, it is cumbersome in rivers when swimming among snags and hooker gear would be a better proposition. This consists of a fuel-driven compressor mounted in a boat with a thin flexible breathing hose.