-
This genus of this turtle has at least
seven species (Cogger 2000).
-
These turtles look and behave much like their close
relatives the 'Australian river turtles' in the genus Emydura.
-
Like those, they
have moderately short necks with largish heads.
-
Also like the river turtles,
they are found in creeks and lagoons in Australia and New Guinea.
-
Here, they can
often be seen basking on logs and the sides of waterways; if disturbed, they
drop into the nearby water with a splash and disappear.
-
For many observers, this
is the only evidence that they are around.
-
However unlike the Emydura, they get
a little bigger, with some developing a carapace length of 45 centimetres (Cann
et al 2000).
-
They also often develop a hard horny head and have much more obvious
tubercles on the neck (Cogger 2000).
-
They also lack the pale stripe on their
face that is present in the Emydura species.
-
'Saw-shelled turtles' are also called 'Snapping
turtles' in Australia.
-
However, they are not related to the 'snapping turtles'
of the Americas that bite much more readily and can often be much bigger.
-
Australian 'snappers' are usually quite shy and would only resort to biting if
handled.
-
They are also called 'saw-shelled turtles'
because many individuals have serrated edges to the carapace, especially
when younger.
-
They can sometimes be seen in the bigger fresh waterways, such as at
Mossman river, basking on the rocks in the morning.
