side-necked turtle

side-necked turtle (plural side-necked turtles)

1. Any turtle of the suborder Pleurodira, characterised by protecting its head by turning it to one side rather than, as hidden-neck 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