1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Eats fish and invertebrates; keep alone.
This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.
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.
Live fish, shrimp, worms.
Tap a food to see what it is.
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).
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
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).
Pair.
Large tank with land.
Winter cooling.
6-23 hard-shelled eggs per clutch (average 14), up to 3 clutches a year.
Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.
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.
11 facts checked with sources
Reptile (aquatic side-necked turtle, Chelidae), not a fish. No subspecies. It hybridises with C. canni and C. rugosa where they meet (CBFTT).
The Reptile Database: Chelodina longicollis · Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10)New value (legacy had none).
The Reptile Database: Chelodina longicollisStraight carapace length, not including the long neck. Females larger (to 28.2 cm) than males (to 24.9 cm); legacy 27 cm is a large female.
Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) · Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)Captive records 36 and 37+ years; wild minimum ages 31-34 years. The lower bound of 30 is supported; nothing checked confirms 50, but Parmenter's growth-rate estimate suggests very old wild animals are possible.
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)No source rates difficulty. CBFTT: 'Chelodina longicollis are hardy in captivity and thrive on a balanced diet of fish, tadpoles, invertebrates and prepared food.' Legacy rates it hard (3); this suggests it is not delicate, but space needs are not covered.
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)New value (legacy had none). Introduced to Tasmania / Bass Strait islands (TTWG, CBFTT).
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed) · Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10)Legacy (male smaller with longer tail, female larger) agrees; plastron shape is the more reliable sign.
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)Buried land clutch agrees. Legacy trigger 'winter cooling' is not stated in the source; nesting follows winter, in spring and summer. CBFTT notes eggs can be obtained in captivity by hormone injection.
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)Legacy 6-16; source range is wider. Incubation time not checked.
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)Agrees in substance. The 'strikes at prey' detail was not checked. When disturbed it releases a strong-smelling fluid ('stinker', CBFTT).
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed)Legacy said export is banned; DCCEEW confirms commercial export of live native reptiles is not permitted. TTWG 2025 gives no CITES listing either. US federal rule (FDA, 21 CFR 1240.62, in force since 1975): live turtles under 4 in (10.2 cm) carapace length and viable turtle eggs may not be sold or distributed commercially; exceptions include bona fide scientific/educational/exhibition use (not pets), non-business transfers and labelled export-only shipments. Salmonella hand-washing advice in legacy text was not separately sourced.
Kennett, Roe, Hodges & Georges 2009, Chelodina longicollis account, Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs 5:031, peer-reviewed) · Australian Government DCCEEW: Wildlife trade frequently asked questions · US eCFR 21 CFR 1240.62 (FDA): Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements