Pig-nosed turtle
| Pig-nosed turtle | |
|---|---|
| A young individual in captivity in Slovakia. | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Superfamily: | Trionychia
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| Family: | Carettochelyidae
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| Subfamily: | Carettochelyinae
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| Genus: | Carettochelys
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| Species: | C. insculpta
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| Binomial name | |
| Carettochelys insculpta Ramsay, 1886
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The pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), also known as the pitted-shelled turtle or Fly River turtle, is a species of turtle native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea.
Description
The pig-nosed turtle is a very large freshwater turtle, with a shell length of 60-70 centimetres. It is grey to greyish brown in colour on the upper surface, and white to yellow in colour on the lower surface. It has broad paddle-like flippers, each with two claws. Its shell is covered by a soft-pitted skin, instead of the hard scutes that cover the shells of most turtles.