Imagine a turtle that looks more like an underwater snake with a shell. This unusual creature inhabits the freshwater bodies of Australia and New Guinea. The Australian snake-necked turtle is an amazing master of camouflage and one of the most recognizable freshwater inhabitants of the continent.
Its main feature is its incredibly long, flexible neck, which is almost as long as its shell. Unlike most turtles, which simply retract their heads under the protection of their carapace, this turtle folds its long neck sideways, pressing its head against its shoulder. This looks very unusual and graceful.
These turtles lead a secretive lifestyle, spending most of their time at the bottom of overgrown rivers, lakes, and swamps. Their long necks are the perfect weapon for hunting. The turtle freezes in the mud or among plants, then shoots its head out at lightning speed toward its prey, grabbing small fish, tadpoles, or invertebrates.
Despite their somewhat frightening appearance, these reptiles are completely harmless to humans. They are an important part of local ecosystems, and their unique appearance makes them a real living attraction of Australian nature.
Description of the Australian snake-necked turtle
This small turtle has a surprisingly long neck. Together with the head, the neck is almost as long as the entire body. The length of the shell of males is up to 24.9 cm, and of females – up to 28.2 cm. Adult turtles weigh 1.3 kg. The strongly flattened oval shell is brownish in color, and the golden-yellow iris of the eyes stands out brightly against the dark color of the head. The head never retracts along the longitudinal axis, but immediately folds to the side under the carapace; the occipital shield is absent in very few species. The neck is very long, approximately equal to the length of the carapace. The anal opening is short and slit-like. The head is not very flat, without growths, except for simple whiskers on the chin.
Chelodina longicollis
SHAW, 1794
RU: Australian snake-necked turtle, common snake-necked turtle
EN: Common Snake-necked Turtle, Eastern Snake-necked Turtle
Suborder: (Pleurodira) Side-necked turtles
Family: (Chelidae) Snake-necked
Genus: (Chelodina) Snake-necked turtles
Habitat and lifestyle
This snake-necked turtle lives in the rivers and lakes of Eastern Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria).
It inhabits densely vegetated coastal areas of freshwater flowing ponds and small lakes in the eastern part of the Australian continent.
Chelodina longicollis occupies a wide range of freshwater aquatic habitats, but is more common in shallow ephemeral wetlands, often remote from permanent rivers. Its tendency to migrate long distances over land, combined with its low desiccation rate and ability to live on land, allows it to exploit highly productive ephemeral habitats in the absence of competition from fish and other turtle species. During wetter periods, such habitats provide optimal conditions for growth and reproduction. However, during drier periods, turtles may need to seek refuge in permanent water, where high population density and low productivity can lead to reduced growth rates and reproductive capacity.
Diet of the Australian snake-necked turtle
This species is a conditionally pathogenic predator that feeds on a wide range of plankton, nekton, and benthic macroinvertebrates, carrion, as well as terrestrial organisms that fall into the water.
This species of turtle is predatory. In captivity, predatory turtles are fed raw, lean river fish with entrails and bones, terrestrial and aquatic insects, terrestrial and aquatic snails with shells, complete feed for aquatic turtles, earthworms, tadpoles, and mice. All food should be raw and at room temperature.
More about feeding predatory turtles ›
Turtles should NOT be fed poultry and livestock fillets (beef, pork, lamb, etc.), fatty fish, crab sticks, human food (sausage, hot dogs, etc.), or dog and cat food.
What not to feed turtles ›
Turtles are fed in the morning. Young turtles are fed every day, while adolescents and adults are fed every 2–3 days. The amount of food depends on how full the turtle is, but it should be reasonable, about 2 turtle heads worth. You can throw a cuttlefish bone into the aquarium to help them sharpen their beaks and replenish their calcium reserves.
The Australian snake-necked turtle is a small freshwater turtle that is easily recognizable by its long, thin neck, reminiscent of a snake. It lives in slow-moving rivers, lakes, and swamps throughout Australia and is adept at hiding from predators by releasing an unpleasant-smelling liquid from its neck. Unlike many turtles, it spends almost all of its time in the water and rarely comes ashore, mainly to lay eggs. Despite its fragile appearance, it is a hardy animal, well adapted to the changing conditions of Australian water bodies.
Keeping Australian snake-necked turtles in captivity
The minimum size of an aquaterrarium for 1-2 individuals: the length of the aquaterrarium = 6 times the length of the shell of the largest turtle, the width of the aquaterrarium = 3 times the length of the shell. Add 20% space for each additional turtle. Volume approximately 200-300 liters. Water depth = 5 x the width of the shell of the largest turtle. Large stones and fixed driftwood can be placed in the aquarium. Any plants will be pulled out of the ground. The pond should have a thin layer of gravel or coarse sand (10-15 cm). The shore is used by turtles for laying eggs and basking (warming up under lamps).
The background air temperature in the aquaterrarium should be 28-30°C with a temperature at the warming point under the lamp up to 35°C. The night temperature is 22-24°C. In winter, the temperature is 24-28°C.
The aquaterrarium should also have a 10% UVB lamp and a good filter. The UVI range for them is 1.0-2.6 average, 2.9-7.4 maximum (Ferguson's 3rd zone). Daylight hours in summer are 13 hours, in winter – 11 hours.
Keeping them in an outdoor enclosure in the Central European climate is only recommended in hot weather.
Turtles can be kept in groups of two males and two females. However, solitary keeping is more often recommended due to competition. Large armored catfish, astronotus, acaras, etc. can be added to the turtles' enclosure.
Turtles constantly shed their skin, leaving many fragments of their epithelium in the water. To prevent cloudiness and water contamination, the aquarium must be equipped with a powerful mechanical filter and the water must be changed (it is better to use settled water).
Reproduction
These turtles mature relatively slowly. Males become sexually mature at 7–8 years of age and females at 10–12 years of age. Females lay 6 to 23 hard-shelled eggs in the spring and late summer and can produce up to 3 clutches per year.
The Australian snake-necked turtle is a truly unique inhabitant of freshwater environments. Its unusually long neck, more like that of a snake, not only gives it a memorable appearance but also makes it a skilled hunter. It is the perfect adaptation for lightning-fast attacks on prey in the murky waters of rivers and swamps.
Despite its intimidating appearance, this turtle plays an important role in its ecosystem, helping to control the population of aquatic insects, mollusks, and small fish. Observing it in the wild is a great stroke of luck, as it is cautious and spends most of its time hiding.
Unfortunately, like many other species, it faces threats from human activity. The drainage of water bodies and pollution of its habitat raise concerns about its future. By preserving Australia's fragile wetlands, we are helping not only this amazing turtle to survive, but also the many other creatures that call these places home.
