Carettochelys insculpta is one of the world’s most striking freshwater turtle species, featuring flippers that mimic marine turtles and an expressive nose with soft scales, giving rise to its name: Pig-nosed Turtle.
In its natural habitat, this aquatic creature can be found in rivers, lakes, swamps, and pools of northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Although generally herbivorous, they do prefer fruits and leaves as food sources.
Size
Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), one of the world’s largest freshwater turtles, weighs in at over 50 pounds and measures 24 inches long. As the sole survivor in its family, this aquatic animal has evolved exceptionally well to survive its aquatic environment, possessing flipper-like forelegs similar to sea turtles’ while its sleek carapace (upper shell) and plastron (lower shell) feature soft leathery skin covering their shell.
Fly River Turtles can be identified by their distinctive noses that resemble that of pigs. Their fleshy snout allows them to breathe air at the water’s surface while simultaneously absorbing oxygen from it via papillae that absorb oxygen through their water surface snout. This feature, along with their lighter underside coloration and distinct upper and bottom colorations, helps them blend seamlessly into the murky coastal waters in which they reside.
The Fly River Turtle’s snout serves both as an auditory organ and sensory organ, helping it locate food in its aquatic home of shallow, muddy water. With large jaws for powerful bites and claws on its forelimbs to tear food apart, this species prefers plant matter over animal matter when feeding on it – earning its name from the Fly River region of Papua New Guinea, where they reside and lay its eggs in exposed sandbars during dry periods; their eggs hatch when rainfall arrives.
Habitat
The Fly River turtle or “pig-nosed turtle” (Carettochelys insculpta) is unquestionably one of the oddest freshwater turtles ever encountered in nature. Unlike its fellow freshwater species, its flippers resemble marine turtles while they feature a strange fleshy nose with nostrils directly in front of their head.
Their sleek carapace and plastron are covered with soft, leathery skin for camouflage in aquatic environments. Both their forelimbs and hind legs have webbed feet to allow swift movements through the water, while an additional flap of skin connects their hind legs and tail, serving as a rudder that can assist them in avoiding predators such as crocodiles.
These animals are predominantly herbivorous, feeding on various species found in their ecosystems, as well as overhanging fruits, nuts, and seeds that fall into the water. On occasion, they will also consume fish, snails, or insects for sustenance.
Bream are found throughout northern Australia and southern New Guinea in rivers, lagoons, lakes, swamps, and pools containing sandy or silty bottoms – their natural environment being north Australia and southern New Guinea.
During the nesting season, they see their eggs laid on sandbars, with females coming onto land at night to dig nests. Unfortunately, they are threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and illegal poaching for the exotic pet trade; as such, conservation efforts must focus on raising awareness, implementing stricter regulations, and conducting scientific research to understand these unique creatures better.
Diet
These reptiles are omnivorous, preferring fruit over animal matter in their natural diet. Their diet typically consists of leaves and fruit from wild fig trees; in captivity, however, they thrive with a balanced diet comprised of commercial turtle pellets, aquatic plants, fresh foods, or frozen items such as frozen food.
Carettochelys insculpta is one of the world’s most striking freshwater turtles, commonly referred to as the pig-nosed turtle. Unlike its fellow freshwater species, its flippers resemble sea turtles while its long, fleshy snout has nostrils resembling those of pigs – thus earning this species its unique moniker.
The pig-nosed turtle is the sole remaining member of the Carettochelyidae family of freshwater turtles. With its sleek carapace and plastron covered with soft leathery skin that features numerous papillae to aid oxygen absorption while swimming, males never leave the water except to lay eggs, and females only rarely leave to do so.
Pig-nosed turtles live wild lives, burrowing their nests into sandy riverbanks where they are vulnerable to predators during the dry season. Their diet includes insects and crustaceans as well as fruit leaves and roots from fig trees, reaching weights of 50 pounds with 24-inch body length. Their evolutionary history dates back 70 million years. As the sole survivor in its family with numerous unique morphological, ecological, and behavioral characteristics that distinguish it from dinosaurs, these turtles have often been compared with dinosaurs in terms of weight and length of length 24 inches in body length and weight!
Care
As one of the last remaining members of the Carettochelyidae family of turtles, the pig-nosed fly river turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) stands out among freshwater species as one of its most unique members. Their leathery shell is soft compared to most freshwater species, while their legs have evolved into flippers similar to marine species – they even boast long and fleshy snouts, which give this freshwater turtle its common name!
These turtles require a large aquarium to thrive. To provide them with optimal conditions, their enclosure must include clean, warm water that has been thoroughly filtered, as well as floating and submerged aquatic plants that attract marine creatures. As these turtles do not prefer basking, adding an ultraviolet-emitting shop light would be most suitable.
Some pig-nosed fly river turtles can develop a severe bacterial skin infection known as periosis or “shell rot.” This occurs when even minor scratches or bites allow bacteria into the soft tissues beneath their scutes, leading to rapid spread and often death within days. If you see pale spots appearing on their shell, take action by extracting them from their environment and treating them with 10% Povidone-Iodine solution or Betadine ointment treatment before returning the turtle to their aquarium; otherwise, antiseptic treatments could potentially kill beneficial nitrifying bacteria beneficially reducing nitrogen emissions into their environment.
Pig-nosed river turtles thrive when fed high quality floating trout chow, however worms, fruit, fish, and pellets should also be offered as snacks. Carly Hornberger from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo suggests offering various food sources as pig-nosed turtles may gravitate more toward one type than others. To provide your turtle with maximum happiness.
