chicken turtle

After the chicken-like flavor of its meat.

chicken turtle (plural chicken turtles)

1. An uncommon freshwater turtle, of species Deirochelys reticularia, found in the southeast of the United States, similar in appearance to the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta), but with an unusually long, striped neck, a yellow stripe on each of its legs and a net-like pattern on its carapace.
   • 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 81:

     ‘I've a chicken-turtle, which promises well—the first I've received this season, from what I call my West-Indian farm […] .’

• eastern chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia reticularia)
• Florida chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia chrysea)
• western chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria)

• chicken turtle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia