Lifespan
Unknown for this species
The Sea Lion and Penguin habitats will be closed from 15 Jul 2024 – 2027.
The African Painted Dog exhibit will be closed from 7 – 27 Oct 2024 for upgrading.
The Leopard exhibit is closed for upgrading.
Travelling on the Mandai Khatib Shuttle will cost $2.50 each way from 1 Oct 2024.
The Wild Animal Carousel will delay opening on 16 Oct 2024 due to the Bi-Annual Carousel Drill.
The Chimpanzee exhibit will be closed from 4 - 6 Nov 2024 for upgrading.
Unknown for this species
Amphibians, fish, carrion, insects, mollusks & worms
Shallow freshwater lakes, wetlands & rice fields
Roti Island, Indonesia
The snake-necked turtles are an ancient group of turtles found in Australia, New Guinea, East Timor and Roti Island in Indonesia. More than 70 million years ago, these turtles diverged from all other living things in their evolutionary path. This took place even before the dinosaurs went extinct!
Snake-necked turtles are named for their strikingly long neck, which cannot be withdrawn into their shell. Instead, these turtles tuck their head and neck in sideways towards their body when threatened.
The Rote snake-necked also emits a foul smell to deter would-be predators. This species uses its long neck to ambush unsuspecting prey.
We house an insurance colony at Singapore Zoo to safeguard the Rote snake-necked turtle, the only one for the species in Asia. The turtles under our care were sent to us from breeding programmes in the United States and Austria in 2015.
After years of planning, 13 of these turtles finally made it back to their native country of Indonesia in September 2021, in a joint effort led by The Ministry of Environment and Forestry Republic of Indonesia (MOEF) and Balai Besar KSDA Nusa Tenggara Timur (Bbksda Ntt) Province with the support of Mandai Nature, Singapore Zoo, and Wildlife Conservation Society – Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) WCS Indonesia.
It is the first repatriation of its kind for the species and marks a significant milestone in the ongoing conservation efforts for turtles.
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Unknown risk of extinction
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity