The chicken turtle has both a physical characteristic and a behavior quite different from other turtles in the same area. You might think that scientists would understand the function of something as obvious as an abnormally long neck in a common native species. But no one knows for sure why chicken turtles have long necks. The egg-laying behavior of chicken turtles is another ecological riddle. North American turtles typically lay their eggs in the late spring and summer.
Sea turtles come ashore on the beaches on summer nights.
Snapping turtles, painted turtles, and slider turtles normally lay their eggs from April to August. Chicken turtles are very different. They lay eggs on warm days in late fall or even winter. This is a true ecological conundrum. Such a natural phenomenon merits explanation if we are to thoroughly understand and be informed about the world around us.