One of the 41 turtles and tortoises on WAnimals
Reptiles · Testudines · Carettochelyidae
Pig-Nosed Turtle
Carettochelys insculpta
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The pig-nosed turtle — known in Spanish as tortuga boba papuana, tortuga de Ramsay or tortuga de nariz de cerdo — is a cryptodire turtle of the family Carettochelyidae. It is the only species in the genus Carettochelys and the only living member of the family Carettochelyidae. It is found in southern New Guinea and the Northern Territory of Australia. No subspecies are recognised.
Weight
10 kg – 22 kg
Size
45 cm – 70 cm
Lifespan
40 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- It is the only freshwater turtle in the world with true flippers rather than webbed feet: it swims exactly like a sea turtle despite living in rivers, and it is the last survivor of a family that was once diverse.
- Its hatchlings wait inside the egg fully developed until rising water triggers them: then they all hatch at once within minutes. If the water does not come, they can hold on for weeks in diapause.
- It is the most trafficked turtle in Oceania: tens of thousands of hatchlings leave New Guinea every year for the Asian pet trade.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Rivers, lagoons and estuaries of southern New Guinea and northern Australia
- Sexual maturity
- 18 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 70 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 20 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carettochelys_insculpta
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Pig-Nosed Turtle — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Flatback
Natator depressus
Least ConcernSaltwater Crocodile
Crocodylus porosus
Near ThreatenedBull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
Freshwater Crocodile
Crocodylus johnstoni
EndangeredIrrawaddy Dolphin
Orcaella brevirostris
New Guinea Crocodile
Crocodylus novaeguineae
How to help
The pig-nosed turtle is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 2 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about pig-nosed turtle.
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