Also known as the Macquarie turtle or Murray short-necked turtle, this turtle can grow to about 30cm in length. The male has a much fatter and longer tail than the female. There are two fleshy barbels under its chin. The shell is predominantly medium to dark brown above, cream coloured below. The skin is greyish and there is a distinctive creamy-yellow stripe running back along the side of the head from the corner of the mouth. The eyes are small and yellow with a round black pupil. It is restricted to the Murray-Darling River system in southeastern Australia, inhabiting larger rivers and permanent lakes in this region.