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Encyclopedia / Turtles / Eastern snake-necked turtle
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Eastern snake-necked turtle

Chelodina longicollis · Snake-necked turtle, Long-necked turtle, Chelodina

Eats fish and invertebrates; keep alone.

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27 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Eastern snake-necked turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Eastern snake-necked turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Eastern snake-necked turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ✓30–50 years
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Eats fish and invertebrates; keep alone.

Check your local laws. Not listed on CITES or under Australia's EPBC Act. Australia does not allow commercial export of live native reptiles, so pet-trade animals outside Australia must be captive-bred abroad. US: live turtles under 4 in (10 cm) carapace length may not be sold. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know: Needs a basking dock with UV and heat lamp and deep water. Never house with fish.

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Food

Live fish, shrimp, worms.

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Male or female

Females grow larger and have deeper shells and a rounded (convex) rear plastron; males have a concave or irregular rear plastron and a longer, thinner tail than the female's short, fat tail (not always clear because the tail is held tight).

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate

Egg-layer: females nest on land in late spring and early summer (October-January), sometimes 500 m or more from water, laying up to three clutches a year. Matures slowly (males 7-8 years, females 10-12 years).

Pairing

Pair.

Setup

Large tank with land.

What starts it

Winter cooling.

Eggs

6-23 hard-shelled eggs per clutch (average 14), up to 3 clutches a year.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.

Common mistakes
  • Undersized tank and weak filtration
  • No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
  • Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
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Where it lives in the wild

RegionEastern Australia
Rivers and lakesRivers and wetlands from Queensland to South Australia
HabitatSwamps, rivers and ponds
Native rangeAbout 1,200 km across
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The story of the eastern snake-necked turtle

A long-necked, carnivorous turtle from southeastern Australia, common in shallow and temporary wetlands.

British naturalist George Shaw described the eastern snake-necked turtle in 1794. It lives in eastern Australia. Its long neck folds sideways under its shell.

First described by George Shaw in 1794.

  • Its neck is about as long as its shell.
  • It folds its neck sideways.
  • It releases a strong smell when threatened.

Sources

11 facts checked with sources