The Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi) is a freshwater chelonian reptile. It is also known as McCord’s Snakeneck Turtle.

The Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle has a pale grey-brown slightly-domed carapace (upper shell) and a pale buff-white plastron (lower underbelly shell). Its neck is very long – about the same size as its shell – and is dark-brown on the upperparts and whitish on the underparts. It has webbed feet with sharp claws. It has dark eyes.

Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle

It measures 18-24 centimetres (7-9 inches) long.

The Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle is native to Roti Island in Indonesia. It prefers swamps, rice paddies, and small lakes.

It eats insects and small aquatic animals.

Females lay 8-14 eggs, which hatch after 3 months. As the young turtles grow, the dark colour of their shells become paler.

Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle

Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle

Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM