Which Australian turtle has a distinctive pig-like snout?

The pig-nosed turtle is the Australian turtle famous for its distinctive pig-like snout. Unlike most freshwater turtles, it has flipper-like limbs and a soft, leathery shell, giving it a notably unusual appearance.

The species lives in freshwater rivers, lagoons and swamps in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Its nostrils sit at the end of a fleshy snout, allowing it to breathe while much of its body remains underwater.

The pig-nosed turtle is the only living member of its family, Carettochelyidae. It is therefore evolutionarily distinct rather than simply an unusually shaped member of a common turtle group.

Females leave the water to lay eggs on sandy banks. Hatchlings emerge after environmental conditions trigger hatching, and the species can be affected by river alteration, egg harvesting and habitat disturbance. Despite its turtle shell, it is not a sea turtle.