Common snakeneck turtle

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Common snake-neck turtle

Common snake-neck turtle at the Washington National Zoo

Conservation status

Secure

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	Chelidae
Genus:	Chelodina
Species:	C. longicollis

Binomial name

Chelodina longicollis

The Common snake-neck turtle (Chelodina longicollis), also known as the Eastern long-neck turtle, Eastern snake-neck turtle, or Common long-neck turtle has as its most distinctive feature its extremely long neck. In some cases, this turtle's neck can be as long as its carapace. It is a type of side-necked turtle, meaning that it bends its head sideways into its shell rather than pulling it directly back.

The common snakeback turtle also has powerful webbed feet for swimming, digging, and tearing apart prey. Its carapace (shell) is flattened, broad, and brown with black-edged scutes. On the underside plates (plastron) there are distinctive black lines or seams.

Two common snake-neck turtles climbing from a lake to bask on a log

These turtles are found in the inland slow-moving freshwater habitats such as swamps, dams, and lakes of eastern Australia, from northern Queensland to Victoria. They prefer a soft, sandy bottom and will bask on logs or rocks during the day.

When it feels threatened, this turtle will emit an offensive smelling fluid from its musk glands. This trait gives the turtle one of its other common names, "stinker."

The common snake-neck turtle is carnivorous, eating a variety of animals. They feed on insects, worms, tadpoles, frogs, small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.

In early summer, the female will lay between 2 and 10 eggs in the banks of her aquatic habitat. Three to five months later the hatchlings break out of their shells. These young turtles often fall prey to predators such as fish and birds. Females will lay 1 to 3 clutches of eggs per year.