Eastern Long Necked Turtle
Chelodina longicollis
-29.4932, 153.108
Field Notes
Description:
Also referred to as a snake-necked turtle, this eastern long-neck's shell will eventually grow to around 25cm in length, with its neck almost the same length. The upper shell or carapace can vary in colour from light reddish-brown to almost black, while the lower shell or plastron is usually creamy-yellow, sometimes with other dark brown markings. The feet have strong claws and are webbed for swimming. The jaws are made of hard, horn-like material and, if provoked, can deliver a painful bite.
Habitat:
This is an extremely common turtle in eastern Australia, while other long-necked species occur in northern and western Australia. They inhabit almost any type of relatively slow moving water body from farm dams to major rivers and lakes.
Notes:
Diet:
These turtles prey mostly on fish, tadpoles, frogs and crayfish. The long neck is used like a snake to rapidly strike at passing prey. Large food items are torn apart by the strong front claws.
Reproduction:
The female lays between 4-20 hard-shelled eggs during spring and early summer in an excavation in the bank of a swamp or stream. The young tortoises usually hatch after an incubation time ranging from three to eight months. Some females may produce two or three clutches in one season.
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