Trout chow, and dog or cat kibble would be healthy additions to the diet of a captive short-necked turtle. This species tends to eat voraciously in captivity and appreciates a good variety of diet choices. While young Murray turtles are often nearly round, adults become more oblong. The carapce is olive to brown and features many fine striations which give the the shell a rough look. There are yellow or cream stripes on each side of the head and yellow spots on the chin.
Females are larger overall and have higher domed carapaces than males.
The Murray turtle lives in southeastern Australia, in the Murray River and its tributaries. Since this region of the continent is temperate, this turtle will not require additional heat for an indoor vivarium. It should do well in an outdoor enclosure year-round in areas where severe cold is unlikely. The E. macquarrii will hibernate in the water much like North American painted turtles. Kept inside, this turtle would require a large aquarium, and care should be taken to provide progressively larger aquariums as the turtle grows.