Reptiles
Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia · also called eastern chicken turtle
Crossing a stretch of dry ground between two seasonal wetlands, a chicken turtle travels further overland than most people expect from an aquatic species, its unusually long neck stretched forward as it goes.
Overview
The chicken turtle, Deirochelys reticularia, is a freshwater turtle native to shallow ponds and seasonal wetland habitat across the southeastern United States. Its unusually long neck and, in some populations, an autumn nesting schedule set it apart from most other North American pond turtles.
A turtle that doesn’t quite fit the mold
Between a neck too long to fully tuck away and a nesting calendar that runs backward in parts of its range, the chicken turtle breaks enough of the usual turtle rules to stand out even among its close wetland-dwelling relatives.
Status
Least Concern — present across much of the southeastern United States, though some regional populations have declined with the loss of seasonal wetland habitat.
Chicken Turtle: common questions
Why is the chicken turtle called a chicken turtle?
The chicken turtle's common name reportedly comes from historical accounts describing its meat as tasting like chicken, a reputation that once made the species a target for human consumption in parts of its southeastern United States range, though it is not hunted for food in any significant way today.
Why can't a chicken turtle fully pull its head in?
A chicken turtle has a strikingly long neck relative to its shell size, and while it can retract its head to some degree, the neck's unusual length means the fit is less complete than in many other pond turtle species with proportionally shorter necks.
Do all chicken turtles nest in the spring?
Not necessarily — while many chicken turtle populations nest during the spring or early summer timing typical of most North American turtles, some populations nest in autumn instead, an unusual reversal in reproductive timing not widely shared among other native turtle species.
Where does the chicken turtle live?
The chicken turtle is native to shallow ponds, marshes, and seasonal wetland habitat across the southeastern United States, and it spends more time on land than many other aquatic turtles, sometimes moving considerable distances overland between wetlands.