side-necked turtle

side-necked turtle (plural side-necked turtles)

1. Any turtle of the family Pelomedusidae, characterised by protecting its head by turning it to one side rather than, as other turtles do, withdrawing it into its shell.
   • 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 29:

     As we scan the Gaelian shore we see large side-necked turtles sunning themselves.

• Geoffroy's side-necked turtle
• South American side-necked swamp turtle

• snake-necked turtle