There is a certain picture of a turtle that many people have in their minds when imagining how these animals look.
A turtle with a super long neck isn’t usually one of them, so if your turtle’s neck seems to be very long then you’d understandably worry.
This article is a look into why your turtle’s neck may be so long.
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle neck so long?
Your pet’s neck is an important part of the animal’s body, it helps keep the head up which is a must for these animals, but why would the necks of some of these animals be so long?
Here is why your turtle’s neck is s long:
Species:
Some turtles will naturally have a long neck because of their species.
Snake-necked turtles, for example, have very long necks. These long necks are helpful as they allow the turtle to target and consume prey with great agility.
This long neck makes them better predators, this is helpful as these types of turtles are more predatory.
However, the long neck has a disadvantage, it can’t fit into the animal’s shell like the necks of other turtles.
What to do:
This is quite normal for these turtles, you don’t have to worry if you notice that your pet has a long neck. As long as the long neck is normal for the species then your pet should be fine.
It’s laying out:
If you notice that your pet turtle seems to love extending its neck out, when it is basking, then the animal is simply doing this to get more light and heat exposure to their necks.
These animals need the external environment to keep them warm, they warm up by allowing heat to hit their skin and penetrate their bodies. The turtles have to extend their limbs as much as they can in order to get as much warmth as they can.
What to do:
This is quite normal, you don’t have to do anything if you see this, this is common behavior for turtles. As long as the animal is eating, pooping, sleeping, and is active as normal then your pet should be fine.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle Not Responding To Touch?, Why Is My Turtle Not Using It’s Back Legs, Why Is My Turtle Eating Sand?, Why Is My Turtle Tank Cloudy?, Why Is My Turtle Not Growing?, Why Is My Turtle Not Eating In Winter?, Baby Turtle Is Not Eating, Why Is My Turtle Limp?, Why Is My Turtle Not Pooping?