Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
The endangered pig-nosed turtle, carettochelys insculpta, is a freshwater turtle found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is the only living species in its family. It is a unique species and unlike any other freshwater turtle.
Its feet have been transformed into fins - a feature that distinguishes the species from other freshwater turtle species. Apart from sea turtles, it is the species best adapted to life in water. The special appearance has made the species sought after on the exotic pet market.
The eggs are easy to find, you just follow the tractor-wheel-like trail in the female leaves in the sand when returning to the water. This means that many of the eggs are collected and hatched in their thousands and then sold and exported as pets around the world. The collection of eggs and young is by far the biggest threat to the species.
The endangered pig-nosed turtle, carettochelys insculpta, is a freshwater turtle found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is the only living species in its family. It is a unique species and unlike any other freshwater turtle.
Its feet have been transformed into fins - a feature that distinguishes the species from other freshwater turtle species. Apart from sea turtles, it is the species best adapted to life in water. The special appearance has made the species sought after on the exotic pet market.
The eggs are easy to find, you just follow the tractor-wheel-like trail in the female leaves in the sand when returning to the water. This means that many of the eggs are collected and hatched in their thousands and then sold and exported as pets around the world. The collection of eggs and young is by far the biggest threat to the species.
