The Chicken turtle is one of the most uncommon freshwater turtles. It is typically 4-6 inches, but can reach lengths of 10 inches. It lives in shallow ponds and lakes where it enjoys an omnivorous diet of crayfish, tadpoles and plants. Its range is strictly limited to the southeastern United States and as far west as Texas. This turtle is easily identified by an extraordinarily long, striped neck with a yellow stripe on both the forelegs and rear legs. It has a distinguishable netlike pattern (looks like a chicken wire pattern) on its shell. The meat of this turtle was once favored in southern markets.
Exhibit: Flint River Gallery
