The skin is greyish and there is a distinctive creamy-yellow stripe running back along the side of the head from the corner of the mouth. The eyes are small and yellow with a round black pupil.
Habitat:
It is restricted to the Murray-Darling River system in southeastern Australia, inhabiting larger rivers and permanent lakes in this region.
Diet:
They feed mostly on molluscs and crustaceans but will also consume carrion. Adults tend to eat a large proportion of vegetable matter such as fruits and water plants.
Reproduction:
In spring and summer about ten elongated eggs are laid in a burrow close to the river. They hatch about eighty days later. The eggs and newborn hatchings face a long list of predators that includes goannas, rats, foxes, birds, cats and wild pigs. Adult turtles have few natural enemies.
Did You Know?
These turtles have been popular pets for many years. Hatchings are often sold as 'penny turtles', however, these will still grow into large adults and, if insufficient diet or housing is provided, the shell may become permanently deformed. Many are dumped by their owners as they grow, consequently, they are common in the ponds and lakes in many urban parks.
There is NO such thing as a ‘Penny turtle’. This was merely a generalised term given to at least four species of turtle hatchings including the Mary River turtle, the Saw-shelled turtle and the Southern-snapping turtle that were sold in pet shops and department stores in the 70s.