OBLONG TORTOISE Chelodina oblonga Gray, 1841
Attaining up to 31 cm, the Oblong Tortoise is usually found in permanent waterways of South West Western Australia. Carapace colour ranges from grey to olive brown in colour.
Of all the 'long necked species' the Oblong Tortoise has the longest neck in proportion to its' shell and body.
The head and neck may extend up to ninety percent of the carapace (shell) length. The head and neck are far too large and thick to receive any significant protection when attempted to be withdrawn into the shell.
Regular seasonal overland migrations do occur, and in some areas near Perth, Western Australia, road signs warn motorists of crossing tortoises. When walking over land, this tortoise moves fairly rapidly. The head and neck are held straight in front of the carapace giving the appearance that the tortoise is determined to get somewhere.
Egg laying is in October-November, and the eggs take up to two hundred days to hatch. The carapace of juveniles is slightly expanded at the rear, but this broadness reduces with age.

The above was from the book Australian Reptiles and Frogs by Raymond Hoser and now available on a fantastic CD-Rom along with a vast amount of other information, papers and the like on reptiles, frogs and other wildlife.