Chelodina longicollis
Description
As the name suggests, this the Eastern Snake Neck (Chelodina longicollis) has a long neck which is about half the length of its carapace (shell). This turtle can be found throughout most of eastern Australia in swamps, lakes, dams, billabongs and slow moving rivers. They tend to remain deep in the water, on the floor, where they conceal themselves by paddling mud or debris over their shell.
The turtle carapace (shell) grows to approximately 25cm in length. The upper shell can vary in colour from light reddish brown to almost black, while the lower shell or plastron is creamy yellow.
Breeding starts in Spring with nesting occurring in Summer. The female lays from 6 to 24 hard shelled eggs in nests dugin the sand or soft sediment on the banks of the river. Eggs hatch around 130 to 168 days later from January through to April.
Adaptations
- Webbed feet assist with swimming and digging
- This turtle can eject pungent liquid secretions from its armpits and groin when disturbed to scare off predators
- They have sharp claws used to tear apart food
- They regulate their body temperature by basking on the river banks
Feeding relationships
- What I eat: Aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, crayfish and small fishes
- What eats me: Water rats and lizards will occasionally eat the eggs. Hatchlings are eaten by fish and birds. Adults are mostly killed by cars while moving overland
Interesting facts
Snake neck turtles have only four claws on their webbed front feet. Some other species of Australian freshwater turtles have five.