Unlike any other freshwater turtle, it possesses flippers resembling those of marine turtles. Its nostrils are located directly in front of the fleshy, protruding snout. The carapace and limb color of the Pig-nosed turtle may be gray to olive.
Plastral color is very light, either white, cream or yellowish.
Males can be distinguished from females by their much larger tails which have the vent located near the tip. The distribution of the Pig-nosed turtle is limited to northern Australia, southern Irian Jaya and southern New Guinea. Typical habitat includes rivers, estuaries, lagoons, lakes, swamps and pools. Most Pig-nosed turtles have been found in waterways having sand and gravel bottoms covered with silt, and averaging a depth of six feet. The banks of these waterways are typically heavily forested.