Pig-Nose Turtle: Carettochelyidae

A TURTLE BY ANY OTHER NAME

Although the family Carettochelyidae contains only one species, a person might think several exist. The reason is that the one species, Carettochelys insculpta, goes by the common names pig-nose turtle, pig-nosed turtle, Fly River turtle, and pitted-shelled turtle, to name just a few. They are one and the same turtle. Sometimes common names describe a body feature. For instance, "pig-nose" refers to the turtle's piglike snout. Common names can also identify the species' home. "Fly River," for example, names one of the places the turtle is found in New Guinea.