Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia

Chicken Turtles are generally uncommon and are found only in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina and Georgia. The chicken turtle has an extremely long neck and is named for a yellow reticulate pattern on its carapace. The smooth, pear-shaped carapace is olive to dark brown. The "striped pants" on the rear legs and the broad yellow stripe on the forelegs are also distinguishing characteristics of this species. The black markings on the bridge between the plastron and carapace are variable in appearance or may be lacking altogether. The chicken turtle lives in isolated season wetlands, but most individuals will emerge to spend the winter buried underground in the surrounding uplands. Females chicken turtles, which are larger than the males, nest in either the fall or spring. Males can be identified by their long, thickened tails. The diet of this species consists primarily of crayfish and other aquatic invertebrates.