Hatchlings have ridges on shell and are often mistaken for the Alligator snapping turtle.
Adults have smooth shells.
Their long neck allows them to occassionally breathe while they lie on the bottomof a shallow body of water. Primary prey consists of sponges, worms, mollusks, insects, crustaceans, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. They also eat a large amount of aquatic vegetation. Population undetermined but probable in park. This turtle likes slow moving waters and lakes.