Fly River Turtle

Belonging to the diverse Testudines family, the Fly River turtle is one of the most ancient reptiles still alive today. This makes it a very fascinating species to get to know.

Here, we’ll be introducing you to the Fly River turtle, which you can find right here at Hastings Aquarium. From its distinctive appearance to its unique characteristics and behaviours, we’ve got a full fact file on this reptile for you below. 

What is a Fly River turtle?

Also known by the common names pig-nosed turtle, pitted-shelled turtle and warrajan, the Fly River turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) is unlike any other freshwater turtle. In fact, it’s the only known living species left in its family (Carettochelyidae). Their appearance and characteristics set them apart from other turtles.

This creature is classified as a reptile, putting it in the same category as snakes and lizards.

What does a Fly River turtle look like?

The first thing you’ll notice about a Fly River turtle is its striking snout. Often compared to that of a pig snout – hence being called the pig-nosed turtle – the nostrils act as a snorkel, so when the turtle is at the surface of the water, it can breathe whilst keeping the rest of its body submerged.

The turtle’s front limbs have also adapted into flippers which help it move quickly in water, although they tend to be more clumsy on land. They lack the trademark bony scutes normally found on the shells of other turtle species, and instead have a leathery skin similar to softshell turtles. The carapace (shell) and limbs are usually a grey-green colour, while the plastral (bottom shell) is normally a lighter colour such as white, cream or pale yellow.

Adults can grow as large as half a meter long, with an average weight of 22.5kg and an average shell length of 46cm. You can easily tell the males apart from the females as males have longer and thicker tails, while females are typically bigger in size.

Where does a Fly River turtle live? 

This unique turtle species also has an equally unique habitat, including rivers, estuaries, lakes, swamps and pools. Primarily a freshwater species, they spend most of their time inhabiting warm tropical rivers, streams, lakes and lagoons with soft bottoms and slow currents. However, occasionally they can be found in brackish waters such as estuaries and river deltas.

Fly River turtles get their name from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea, where the species originate from. But this isn’t the only country you can find them in since they’re also native to Australia and some areas of southern Indonesia.

Reproduction of a Fly River turtle

The Fly River turtle is an oviparous species. This means they lay eggs, which they achieve by mating and nesting in the dry season, laying up to two clutches of eggs a year. However, they only mate every two years.

They dig shallow holes to lay their eggs, where they incubate for between 60 and 100 days on average. The hatchlings’ gender depends on the temperature, with high temperatures producing females and lower temperatures producing males.

Fly River turtle’s diet

Fly River turtles technically have an omnivorous diet since they occasionally feed on insects and molluscs. For the most part, though, they usually prefer plant matter such as fruit, leaves and flowers.

6 other things you should know about the Fly River turtle

This fascinating species has many other characteristics that make it distinctive from other types of turtles. Here are some other quick-fire facts you should know about the Fly River turtle:

1. They move around depending on the wet and dry seasons. They prefer deeper waters in the wet season, whereas you’ll often find them in shallow pools of water during the dry season.
2. Females travel together when they are ready to lay eggs so they can communicate to each other which beaches are safe. They look for sites with an ideal moisture content in the soil so that they can easily build their nesting chambers.
3. They provide a service to their ecosystem when they dig up the sand and mud for nesting, as it aerates the land for other species.
4. This species is mostly aquatic, and females will only really leave the water to nest. Males will never leave the water.
5. Their lifespan out in the wild is unknown, but when looked after in aquariums or other such environments, they have been known to live for up to 38 years.
6. Although they’re known to be social within their species, Fly River turtles can also display aggression and territorial behaviour with other types of turtles and animals.

Come and see for yourself

Put your new knowledge of this species into practice and come along to Hastings Aquarium to meet our Fly River turtle in real life. You can buy your tickets ahead of your next visit here.

Or if you fancy visiting one of our other attractions around Hastings click here