Chaco Side-necked Turtle

1 Overview

The Chaco Side-necked Turtle is a turtle of the genus Acanthochelys, first found in Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Because side-necked turtles are taxonomically complex, identifying species by appearance alone is difficult, especially since the Chaco Side-necked Turtle is neither widespread in distribution nor commonly seen in the market.

The most distinctive feature of the Chaco Side-necked Turtle is the pair of fleshy spines on either side of the tail. Compared with other spiny-necked turtles, its body color is more pinkish, its shell mostly coffee-brown, and it is extremely scarce; the number exported each year is so small that buyers must scramble for them. Well-funded Japanese buyers often secure more. Taiwan currently also has Chaco Side-necked Turtles, with adults around 20 cm.

Chinese Name: Chaco Side-necked Turtle

Common Alias: Purple-red Spiny-necked Turtle

English Name: Chaco Side-necked Turtle

Scientific Name: Acanthochelys pallidipectoris

Distribution: Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia

Reproduction: Oviparous

Size: The most distinctive feature is the pair of fleshy spines on either side of the tail; compared with other spiny-necked turtles, its body color is more pinkish, its shell mostly coffee-brown, and it is extremely scarce. Adults around 20 cm.

2 Physical Characteristics

The Chaco Side-necked Turtle is scarce; even captive numbers are small. In our region only Taiwan has sales records, and mainland China generally has no trade in it. It is now sold in Japan, a testament to their ability to source specimens.

Carapace about 17 cm long, gray-brown or olive, elongated oval, with pale yellow lower marginal scutes; rear marginals not serrated. Plastron yellow, elongated, front half wider than rear. Head relatively broad, top pale gray-brown with scales, tympanum yellow, iris white; neck dorsally with many hard spiny warts, neck ventrally pale yellow. Limbs brown, with many hard spiny spines on either side of the tail, one spine larger than the rest, a feature more pronounced in males. Front feet five claws, hind feet four claws, toes webbed. Short tail.

The most distinctive feature of the Chaco Side-necked Turtle is the pair of fleshy spines on either side of the tail. Compared with other spiny-necked turtles, its body color is more pinkish, its shell mostly coffee-brown, and it is extremely scarce; the number exported each year is so small that buyers must scramble for them. Well-funded Japanese buyers often secure more, and Taiwan currently also has Chaco Side-necked Turtles, with adults around 20 cm.

3 Care & Husbandry

In captivity, mating is observed in December and February. Spraying adult turtles with a garden hose triggers courtship. Such artificial rain excites the male and chases the female into water to mate. Nesting behavior in the wild is unknown, but females typically lay one to two eggs per nest. Females lay three times per year. The only successful artificial breeding of the Chaco Side-necked Turtle occurred in 1991 at Zoo Atlanta, with an incubation period of 106 days.

4 Habitat & Environment

The Chaco Side-necked Turtle lives in relatively secluded environments, indicating a shy species; thus in captivity it needs a quiet atmosphere and proper hiding places.

I. Natural habitat. From rainforest streams at elevations of 170 m down to 100 m, where the Chaco Side-necked Turtle often wanders cool, moist, hidden land. It hides under fallen leaves and grass clumps. Younger turtles may be more terrestrial than adults.

II. Captive environment. 1. Indoor: adults should be kept in a large pool divided into land and water. The watery area should be at least half, with 6 to 10 cm depth. Land substrate is a 5 cm layer of gravel (6 to 8 mm) topped with 15 to 25 cm of peat moss and long-fiber sphagnum for hiding and nesting. Hatchlings and juveniles in a similar but smaller setup. Mist one to two times weekly to maintain needed humidity.

2. Outdoor: these turtles do well in enclosures planted with shrubs and featuring a large, cool, shallow pool. Heating indoors is necessary in colder months.

3. Temperature and light: use a 150 W spotlight for a basking spot. Ambient temperature 27 to 30 degrees C, with a 12-hour light and 12-hour dark cycle.

5 Diet & Nutrition

The diet of the Chaco Side-necked Turtle is hard to define, but research shows it prefers vegetarian foods, though in captivity some keepers feed meat with good results.

The Chaco Side-necked Turtle is a herbivorous turtle, feeding mainly on various plants and fruits. Hatchlings especially love watermelon, strawberries, and tomato. Usually they dislike basking, preferring to hide under dead wood or leaves, so they need little strong light or heat lamps. They spend most of their time on land. A water area of one third of the tank is enough, with only a few cm of water.

In nature the Chaco Side-necked Turtle is usually herbivorous, though in captivity it sometimes eats meat. Feeding a mixed salad of fruit (especially tomato), vegetables, and kale leaves two to three times weekly is best. Adults may be fed peeled, chopped adult mice or pinky mice every two weeks, but not hatchlings or juveniles. Most hatchlings and juveniles prefer tomato over any other food, making it the best choice to keep picky turtles eating regularly.