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Definition of snake-necked turtle

snake-necked turtle

Plural:snake-necked turtles
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snake-necked turtle Lexical Profile

• noun

1

Any of several freshwater turtles belonging to the family Chelidae, primarily native to Australia, New Guinea, and parts of South America, characterized by an exceptionally long neck that they fold sideways beneath their shell rather than retracting it straight back.

Example

"While exploring the shallow wetlands of eastern Australia, the biologists observed a snake-necked turtle hunting small fish with lightning-fast strikes of its head."

• Nearby Words

snake gourd
snake river
snake's head fritillary
snake-necked turtle
snakehead
snakehead murrel
snakeroot

Word Origin & Etymology

A descriptive compound name referencing the animal's unusually long, serpentine neck, combined with 'turtle'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Snake-necked turtle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/snake-necked turtle
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