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REPTILE FACTS |
Description
The carapace is dark brown, almost black, but shows some variation from "normal" turtle patterns. The plastron is a light brown, tan color. C. novaeguineae has a long neck, which (including the head) can sometimes exceed the length of the carapace. The skin is mostly gray, except for black on the head, and white on the under parts. When resting, C. novaeguineae twists its long neck off to the side for protection. The highly flexible neck permits foraging in mud as well as snorkeling. It also allows the turtle to strike quickly to capture prey.
Habitat
small and large freshwater bodies of water, jungle rivers with ample vegetation.
Breeding
The New Guinea snake-necked turtle is oviparous. 17 - 21 eggs are laid and incubation lasts 75 - 110 days depending on temperature.
Range
north eastern Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. (Note the Wikipedia page was updated in June 2018 , stating that the species found almost exclusively within Western Province, Papua New Guinea.)
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Reptilia | | Order: | Testudines | | Family: | Chelidae | | Genus: | Chelodina | | Species: | novaeguineae | | Common Name: | New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle |
Relatives in same Genus
Eastern Snake-necked Turtle (C. longicollis)
Oblong Turtle (C. oblonga)
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