adapted to last longer out of water than most aquatic turtles, due to the dry climate common in their native areas. Therefore if necessary they can travel by land from one water source to another. Sideneck turtles are not widely eaten by predators. However heron and crocodile would eat these turtles if necessary. They would probably look to other food sources before this however because the Sideneck turtle is quite well adapted to avoid predators. In addition to this sometimes the turtles are hunted by humans for meat, or used by some cultures in traditional medicines.
Sideneck turtles are spread across a huge area, and thus have many species which are adapted to both catching food and escaping predators in different ways. For example many species of sideneck turtles have developed a very long neck to aid with hunting. While they are floating in the water they strike at prey, and the ‘rapid expansion of the mouth and neck’ creates negative pressure around the mouth, pulling the head forwards, and more significantly the prey into the open mouth of the sideneck.
Other species like the Matamatas, which are the largest species of the Chelidae family and usually found in Australia and South America, are developed to lie in wait on the bed and use a ‘gape and suck’ method of hunting. Other species from the Chelidae family, like the species of the genus Emydura are developed to feed on mollusks. These are also predominantly found in Australia. In this case as the females grow older they grow a very large skull, capable of producing very high forces. This can crush larger prey, and the shells they are in, therefore suited to hunting mollusks. In addition to this Sideneck turtles are adapted to protect themselves from predators. The main adaptation in this category would be the one that earned the name ‘Sideneck’. Instead of folding the neck vertically allowing them to retracting their heads and necks straight back inside the shell when in danger they lay their head and neck to the side, folding the neck horizontally, so that it is covered by the overhang of the edge of the shell beneath one of their front legs. This is the way that they protect themselves from predators like herons or crocodiles. However as mentioned the risk posed by predators to Sidenecks is predominantly minimal.
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