Carettochelys – Pig-nosed Turtle
Look at their fleshy snout and big nostrils, and you can see where they got their name!
Amid the booming global trade of illegal pets, these adorable little turtles with a unique porcine snout are at the top of the list of casualties.
They are the only surviving species of their family, and they are present only in Australia and Papua New Guinea, where they can be found in rivers, lagoons, and even some brackish waters.
Besides its unique snout, its front limbs are shaped like paddles – much like those of sea turtles. And here’s another interesting physical feature: although a layer of skin covers the turtle’s upper shell, it’s not a softshell turtle.
Species in this genus
Pig-nosed Turtle
The pig-nosed turtles are named for their porcine snout. They come from a restricted range in the northernmost river systems of the Northern Territory of Australia and the southern lowlands of New Guinea. These turtles inhabit freshwater and estuarine bodies of water. They are omnivorous but prefer to eat plants more than animal matter. These […]
