Order Testudines (Turtles)
Suborder Cryptodira (hidden- or S-necks)
Superfamily Trionychoidea

Family Carettochelyidae (Pignose Turtles)

Only one species belongs to this family, the pig-nosed turtle, Carettochelys insculpta.

Appearance: Forelimbs flipperlike, shell ovoid, high-domed, and covered by a heavy, rugose skin. The head ends in a thick, snorkellike snout (name!).

Distribution: Southern New Guinea and northern Australia.

Habitat: aquatic: rivers, lakes

Size: 55 cm carapax length (max.)

Food: omnivorous but seems to prefer plant matter like fruit, seeds, roots, leaves etc.

Behaviour:

Reproduction:

Relationships:

• Carettochelys

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Reference:

Pough, F. Harvey, Robin M. Andrews, John E. Cadle, mart Crump (1997)
Herpetology
Prentice Hall; 544 pp.

Zug,G.R. (1993)
Herpetology
Academic Press San Diego, London, ..., XV + 527 pp.

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