First off, let’s get straight to the good stuff: the iconic snake-necked turtle cute pet pictures you clicked for. You’ve probs seen the viral TikTok one where a tiny 2-inch baby snake-necked turtle is peeking out of a teacup, neck stretched all the way up like it’s trying to steal a bite of your morning pancake. That’s not even edited, y’all. These little guys have necks as long as their whole shell sometimes, so they look like someone stuck a lizard head on a turtle body and forgot to trim the excess. Another fan favorite shot floating around Instagram is a juvenile snake-necked turtle floating in its tank, neck curled up like a tiny slinky, wearing a tiny hand-made flower crown someone stuck to the top of its shell. Don’t worry, the glue was non-toxic, and the turtle didn’t even care, it just kept munching on shrimp like it was no big deal. We’ve also got viral pics of them waddling across carpet, neck bobbing back and forth like they’re jamming to a beat only they can hear, and ones where they’re tucking their neck sideways into their shell (yep, they don’t tuck it straight back like regular turtles, they fold it to the side, it’s the cutest little quirk ever) so only their tiny snout is poking out, like they’re playing hide and seek and think you can’t see them.
A lot of people see these pics and go “wait, are these even real pets you can keep at home?” Hell yeah they are, as long as you follow your local exotic pet rules, obvi. First thing you need to know if you’re thinking of getting one after seeing those cute pics: they ain’t as low maintenance as you think. A lot of new owners see a tiny baby snake-necked turtle at the pet store and grab a tiny 10 gallon tank, but that’s a huge mistake. These guys grow up to 8 to 10 inches long (and that’s not counting the neck!) when they’re fully grown, so you’re gonna need at least a 40 gallon tank for a single adult, bigger if you wanna get two. They’re fully aquatic most of the time, so you only need a small basking spot that sticks out of the water, no huge land area required. Oh and one pro tip we learned from talking to dozens of snake-necked turtle owners: if you wanna get cute pics of yours, don’t bother trying to pose it. These little chaos gremlins will do whatever they want, and the best shots are the candid ones where they’re being their goofy selves. One owner told us she got her most liked Instagram pic of her turtle when she walked in on it trying to climb the filter, neck stretched all the way up, looking like it was staging a prison break.
Let’s talk about their personalities too, cause that’s half the reason their pics are so beloved. Snake-necked turtles are way more active than regular pet turtles, they’re always swimming around, exploring their tank, hunting for food, so you never get bored watching them. They’re also super curious, so if you sit next to their tank, they’ll swim right up to the glass, neck stretched all the way out to stare at you, like they’re asking “what u got there? Is that food? Gimme some.” A lot of owners even say their turtles recognize them, and will get excited when they walk in the room, swimming back and forth along the glass to beg for treats. The only downside? They’re messy eaters. They love live shrimp, small fish, worms, and even special turtle pellets, but they make a huge mess when they eat, so you’re gonna need a really strong filter for their tank, otherwise the water will get gross super fast. But if you keep up with weekly 20% water changes, they’re pretty hardy pets, and can live up to 50 years if you take good care of them! That’s a long time to have a little goofy noodle-necked buddy to take cute pics of.
Wait, we got a bunch of questions from people asking if snake-necked turtles like being held? Uh, not really, tbh. They’re aquatic creatures, so being out of water stresses them out most of the time. If you need to take them out for a cute pic, keep it under 5 minutes, and make sure the room is warm, cause they’re cold blooded. Never drop them obviously, and always wash your hands before and after touching them, just like with any reptile. A lot of the cute pics you see of them out of water are taken super quick, then they go right back into their warm, 75-80 degree Fahrenheit tank. We don’t recommend taking them out all the time just for photos, that’s not fair to the little guy. But if you’re patient, you can get just as cute pics of them through the tank glass, we promise. We’ve seen amazing shots of them mid-swim, neck extended, looking like they’re flying through the water, or curled up on their basking spot sunning themselves, looking like a tiny little lazy dinosaur.
One common misconception we see all the time in the comments of these cute snake-necked turtle pics is that people think they’re aggressive. Nah, these guys are total cowards for the most part. If they get scared, they just tuck their neck to the side and hide in their shell, they barely ever bite unless you’re sticking your finger right in their face and they mistake it for food. Even then, their bite is super small, it barely hurts at all, especially when they’re young. They’re just little curious guys, not dangerous at all, as long as you handle them properly and respect their space. Another misconception is that they’re illegal to keep, but that’s only in a few states and countries, always check your local exotic pet laws before you go looking for one to bring home, just to be safe.
For all the new owners who just brought home their first snake-necked turtle and wanna start taking cute pics for their social media, here’s a few quick tips. First, get a cheap LED light to put above the tank, it makes the water look clear and the turtle’s shell look super vibrant in photos. Second, turn off the flash! Flash will scare the turtle and make the glass glare, so you won’t get a good shot anyway. Third, keep some tasty treats handy, like a small piece of shrimp. Hold it near the glass where you want the turtle to look, and it will stretch its neck right up to get it, perfect for that adorable “begging for snacks” pic that gets all the likes. And don’t force it! If your turtle is hiding, leave it alone, try again later when it’s more active, usually around feeding time. The best pics happen when the turtle is happy and comfortable, not stressed out.
We’ve also seen a ton of really creative cute snake-necked turtle pics online lately, like owners setting up tiny little “scenes” in their tank. One guy put a tiny little picnic blanket and mini hamburger toy next to the basking spot, and took a pic of his turtle stretched out next to it like it was having a picnic. Another owner put a tiny little surfboard toy in the tank, and got a pic of her turtle swimming past it with its neck up, like it was catching a wave. As long as all the toys you put in the tank are non-toxic, smooth, and don’t have any small parts the turtle can swallow, it’s totally fine to have a little fun with it, and you get amazing, unique pics out of it. Just make sure you don’t overcrowd the tank, the turtle still needs lots of open space to swim around and explore.