{{Short description|Lake in East Timor}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Lake Ira Lalaro | image = Flooded Lake Iralalaro view 4.jpg | caption = Lake Ira Lalaro | image_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry = | location = | coords = {{coord|8|27|0|S|127|8|0|E||display=inline,title|name=Lake Ira Lalaro}} | lake_type = | inflow = | outflow = Irasiquero River | catchment = | basin_countries = East Timor | length = {{convert|6.5|km|abbr=on}} | width = {{convert|3|km|abbr=on}} | area = Average {{convert|1.9|km2|abbr=on}} | depth = | max-depth = | volume = | residence_time = | shore = | elevation = {{convert|318|m|abbr=on}} | islands = | cities = Mehara, Malahara, Poros, Muapitine | pushpin_map = East Timor | pushpin_map_alt = Location of lake in East Timor }} '''Lake Ira Lalaro''' (also Iralalaro, Ira-Lalaro, Surubec, Suro Bec) is a freshwater lake in Mehara, Subdistrict Tutuala, Lautém District, East Timor.<ref name="MiksicGoh2011">{{cite book|author1-link=John N. Miksic|last1=Miksic|first1=John Norman|last2=Goh|first2=Geok Yian|last3=Connor|first3=Sue O|title=Rethinking Cultural Resource Management in Southeast Asia: Preservation, Development, and Neglect|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJy2GXNxaxQC&pg=PA45|year=2011|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=978-0-85728-389-4|pages=45–}}</ref> It is the largest of the island of Timor,<ref name="University2005">{{cite book|title=Asian Perspectives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IHQMAQAAMAAJ&q=Ira+Lalaro|accessdate=27 July 2013|year=2005|publisher=University Press of Hawaii|page=196}}</ref> and thus too of the country.<ref name="Fitzpatrick2002">{{cite book|author=Daniel Fitzpatrick|title=Land claims in East Timor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-uFuAAAAMAAJ&q=Ira+Lalaro|date=June 2002|publisher=Asia Pacific Press|isbn=978-0-7315-3688-7|page=23}}</ref> The lake is part of the Mount Paitchau Important Bird Area.<ref name=birdlife.org-TL07>{{cite web|title=TL07 - Important Bird Areas factsheet: Monte Paitchau (proposed Conis Santana National Park)|url=http://seabirds.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=15791|publisher=BirdLife International|accessdate=27 July 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001803/http://seabirds.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=15791|url-status=dead}}</ref> The lake waters and that of Irasiquero River are a closed aquatic system; they lie within a huge polje. It covers between {{convert|10|-|55|km2}} while the authigenic catchment basin covers {{convert|406|km2}}.<ref name=White2006>{{cite web|first1=Susan |last1=White|first2=Nicholas|last2=White|first3=Greg|last3=Middleton|title=Report of findings on the proposed Iralalaro hydro-electric power scheme, Timor-Leste|url=https://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/LNG/Refs/115Iralalauro.pdf|publisher=Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis|format=PDF|year=2006|accessdate=27 July 2013}}</ref>
==Geography and geology== thumb|left|Tutuala Subdistrict Ira Lalaro is in the far east of Timor island, and is part of the Nino Konis Santana National Park ({{convert|680|km2}}, which was established in August 2007 by East Timor.<ref name=Academia>{{Cite web|url=https://cdu.academia.edu/DrColinTrainor/Papers/935935/A_new_subspecies_of_the_snakeneck_turtle_Chelodina_mccordi_from_Timor-Leste_East_Timor_Testudines_Chelidae_|title= New Subspecies of the Snakeneck Turtle Chelodina mccordi from Timor-Leste (East Timor) (Testudines: Chelidae)|accessdate=27 July 2013|publisher= Chelonian Research Foundation}}</ref><ref name=Timor>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/geography/Congo-Democratic-Republic-of-the-to-India/East-Timor.html |title=East Timor|accessdate=27 July 2013|publisher=Encyclopedia of the Nations}})</ref>
The lake is located in a basin bounded by the Paitchau Mountains, within the Lospalos plateau. The region has karstic formations of limestone, with dolines, blind valleys, caves and springs. Ira Lalaro has an average water spread area of {{convert|1900|ha}}, which varies from {{convert|1000|-|5500|ha}}. It is in a high plateau depression at an elevation of {{convert|334|m}} "formed by a huge polje karst formation". The lake flows to the east and as the lake water recedes during the dry season the land exposed becomes a pasture or scrubby grassland.<ref name=field>{{Cite web|url=https://www.markoshea.info/research_fieldwork_timor09-6c.php|title=Victor Valley College Tropical Research Initiative Herpetofauna of Timor-Leste Phase I|accessdate=27 July 2013|publisher= Markoshea.info}}</ref>
The lake basin is surrounded by tropical dry forest which is of biodiversity value. The Irasiquero River, which originates from Lake Ira Lalaru, disappears in the main sink hole, the Mainina, about {{convert|3.5|km}} downstream of the lake outlet, and does not re-appear; tracer studies indicate that the underground route of water flow leads to the coast. There are human settlements in the area.<ref name=White2006/>
==Biodiversity== [[File:Trimeresurus insularis.jpg|left|thumb|''Trimeresurus insularis'' snake in the lake's floodplain]] The biodiversity of the lake's aquatic system, including the Irasiquero River, is that of a wetland ecosystem. The forest area is largely undisturbed.<ref name=White2006/> In the absence of continuous surface water flow, the invertebrates found in the lake and in the river consist of macroinvertebrate belonging to 57 families but sans decapod crustaceans.<ref name=White2006/>
The Island pitviper (''Trimeresurus insularis'') and wood scorpions (''Lychas mucronatus'') are reported in the flood plains of the lake. Estuarine crocodiles (''Crocodylus porosus'') (about 300–350) are also found in the lake. They are not hunted by local people as they are their totem animal connected to their creation story and known as "lafaek" in the Tetum language. Boats are banned on the lake, based on a traditional belief that the fish in the lake will die when boats enter the water. Customarily, villagers were forced to stand in the water to fish, and fatal crocodile attacks were common. As of 2006, fishermen appeared to be using rafts to avoid crocodile attacks.<ref name=White2006/> Between 2015 and 2024, there were 12 fatal attacks.<ref name="abc 2025-01-09">{{cite news |last1=O'Neill |first1=Jayden |title=Crocodile attacks in Timor-Leste are at an all-time high. In Australia, it’s a different story |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-09/crocodile-management-nt-lessons-for-timor-leste/104522096 |access-date=10 January 2025 |work=ABC News (Australia) |date=9 January 2025 |language=en-AU}}</ref>
The Timor snake-necked turtle (''Chelodina mccordi timorensis'') is also endemic to the lake and the river.<ref name=White2006/> The local dialect name is ‘‘beo’’, the Tetum name is "lenok kakorok ular" and an alternative English name is Timor long-necked turtle. ''Chelodina mccordi'' is considered to be one of the 25 most endangered turtles in the world<ref name=Rhodin>{{cite book |last1=Rhodin |first1=A.G.J. |last2=Walde |first2=A.D. |last3=Horne |first3=B.D. |last4=van Dijk |first4=P.P. |last5=Blanck |first5=T. |last6=Hudson |first6=R. |year=2011 |title=Turtles in trouble: the world’s 25+ most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles |url=http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Top%2025/Top_25+_Turtles_in_Trouble_2011.pdf |publisher=IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservation Fund, Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle Conservancy, Chelonian Research Foundation, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and San Diego Zoo Global, Lunenburg, Massachusetts, USA |page=54 |access-date=2014-09-01 |archive-date=2019-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029163013/http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Top%2025/Top_25+_Turtles_in_Trouble_2011.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is protected under CITES Appendix II.<ref name=Academia/> There are 21 fish species in the lake including an endemic species of hardyhead (''Craterocephalus laisapi''), found in the middle section of the Irasiquero River.<ref name=White2006/><ref name=Academia/>
In a number of field surveys of East Timorese waterbirds and coastal seabirds of carried out in the 2000s, the lake's wetland was identified as one of three wetlands of high national significance in that country, and as being one of the most notable wetlands in Wallacea.<ref name="trainor 2011">{{cite journal |last1=Trainor |first1=Colin R. |title=Waterbirds and coastal seabirds of Timor-Leste (East Timor): new site records clarifying residence status, distribution and taxonomy |journal=Forktail |date=August 2011 |volume=27 |pages=68–77 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237062552 |access-date=14 July 2022}}</ref>{{rp|68}}
The lake area has both migratory and resident water birds.<ref name=Academia/> It is part of the Mount Paitchau and Lake Ira Lalaro Important Bird Area (IBA). One of globally threatened bird species reported is the yellow-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua sulphur''), which is considered critically endangered. Other species reported are: Australian pelican (''Pelecanus conspicillatus''), wandering whistling duck (''Dendrocygna arcuata''), common coot (''Fulica atra''), Swinhoe's snipe (''Gallinago megala''), Australasian grebe (''Tachybaptus novaehollandiae''), Timor green pigeon (''Treron psittaceus''), cinnamon-banded kingfisher (''Todiramphus australasia''), spot-breasted white-eye (''Heleia muelleri''), and black-banded flycatcher (''Ficedula timorensis'').<ref name=Country>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/67578882/15-022-FR-Ann10b-Birding-Asia-Timor-Leste|title=Birds, birding and conservation in Timor-Leste|accessdate=27 July 2013|publisher=Scribbid.com}}</ref> There are 16 species of bats (cave roosters), including Geoffroy's rousette fruit bat (''Rousettus amplexicaudatus''), Canut's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus canuti''), and Sumba round leaf bat (''Hipposideros sumbae'').<ref name=White2006/>
==References== {{Reflist|3}}
==External links== {{commons category|Lake Ira Lalaro}}
Category:Lakes of Asia Category:Bodies of water of Timor-Leste Category:Important Bird Areas of Timor-Leste