Common Snake-necked Turtle

Common Snake-necked Turtle

Chelodina longicollis

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Melbourne

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

450 Verified sightings at Melbourne
113 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Snake-necked Turtle

The eastern long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis), also known commonly as the common long-necked turtle and the common snake-necked turtle, is an eastern Australian species of freshwater snake-necked turtle in the family Chelidae. The species inhabits a wide variety of water bodies and is an opportunistic feeder. It is a side-necked turtle (Pleurodira), meaning that it bends its head sideways into its shell rather than pulling it directly back.

Chelodina longicollis is found throughout southeastern Australia, where it is found west of Adelaide (South Australia) eastwards throughout Victoria, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales, and northwards to the Fitzroy River of Queensland. Where Chelodina longicollis comes in contact with Chelodina canni the two species freely hybridise, exhibiting hybrid vigour in the Styx River Drainage of Queensland. C. longicollis has been introduced to Tasmania, likely via the pet trade.

Chelodina longicollis has also been introduced to the Perth and Albany metropolitan areas of southwestern Australia, where it is known to hybridise with the local oblong turtle (Chelodina oblonga). This is again likely due to long... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
2 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
3 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
4 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
5 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
6 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
2 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 San Diego Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 Shedd Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Skansen 🇸🇪 Sweden In captivity
5 Australia Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
6 Bronx Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
7 Los Angeles Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
8 Cape May County Park & Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
9 Taronga Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
10 Wilhelma 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
11 Cleland Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
12 Houston Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
13 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
14 Melbourne Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
15 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
16 San Antonio Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
17 Nikolaev Zoo 🇺🇦 Ukraine In captivity
18 Phillip Island Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
19 Roger Williams Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
20 Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
21 Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
22 Sydney Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
23 Ellen Trout Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
24 Symbio Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
25 Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
26 Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
27 Clyde Peeling's Reptiland 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
28 Melbourne Aquarium 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
29 Sea Life Sydney Aquarium 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
30 The Brighton Aquarium And Attached Walls And Piers And Railings And Lamps 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
31 Wild Life Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
32 Aquarium River of Zaragoza 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
33 Baltic Sea Science Center 🇸🇪 Sweden In captivity
34 Manly Sea Life Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
35 The Zoo In Forest Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Closest Relatives at Melbourne

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Snake-necked Turtle in Melbourne?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Snake-necked Turtle sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 450 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Snake-necked Turtle in Melbourne?

November

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Snake-necked Turtle in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in May to July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Snake-necked Turtle?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Snake-necked Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Melbourne the best place to see a Common Snake-necked Turtle?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Common Snake-necked Turtle sightings, Melbourne has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).

Where does the Common Snake-necked Turtle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Snake-necked Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Melbourne (450 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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