A snake of a neck
Its neck is nearly as long as its shell. It is also called the snake-necked turtle.
The billabong
Eastern long-necked turtle
Chelodina longicollis
A dark freshwater turtle with a neck almost as long as its shell.
- Size
- Shell about 25cm long
- Look for it
- September to December, then January to April
- Where
- Ponds, swamps and slow rivers of eastern Australia
Paddles after you with its neck stretched out. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Long-necked turtle
Good to know
Six things about the long-necked turtle
Sideways tuck
It cannot pull its head straight in. It folds its neck sideways under the rim of its shell.
The stinker
When scared it squirts a smelly liquid, so one nickname is the stinker.
A fast strike
It shoots its neck out like a snake to grab tadpoles, insects and small fish.
A long walk
In summer it will walk a long way overland to find a new pond.
Sleeping through drought
If its pond dries up, it buries itself in mud or leaves and waits for rain.
The real thing
Photos of the long-necked turtle
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Look for a small head on a long neck poking up from a farm dam or pond. After rain they are often seen crossing roads.
How to help
If it is safe, help a turtle across the road in the direction it was going. Foxes dig up most nests, so nest protection matters too.
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