Eastern Long-necked Turtle

The Eastern Snake-necked Turtle gets its name from its unusually long neck, which can be nearly as long as its shell. Rather than pulling its head straight back into its shell-like other turtles, it bends its neck sideways to tuck it in—a unique trait that gives it a snake-like appearance.

These turtles are freshwater specialists, found in slow-moving rivers, lakes, and swamps across eastern Australia. Their webbed feet and streamlined shell make them strong swimmers, well adapted to life in the water. They’re mostly carnivorous, feeding on aquatic insects, small fish, tadpoles, and crustaceans, which they ambush with a quick strike of their long neck.

To help them breathe while staying submerged, they’ll often stretch their long necks up to the water’s surface like a snorkel. When threatened, they can release a pungent, musk-like odour from glands near their legs.

Eastern Snake-necked Turtles bask on logs or rocks to absorb warmth from the sun but spend a lot of time in the water. During dry periods, they may travel over land in search of new water sources and can even burrow into mud to wait out droughts.

Females lay their eggs in nests dug into soft soil, often some distance from water. After hatching, the tiny turtles make their way back to the water—no help needed from mum! Their ability to survive in both aquatic and dry conditions makes them one of Australia’s more resilient reptiles.

The Eastern snake-necked turtle sheds both their shell and their skin as they grow. When they are swimming, the shedding skin can appear as a floating, web-like slime around their legs and body.