Characteristic         

Adults are large with a relatively attened, smooth oval shell. Females are drab in appearance, with grey bodies and shells, and a subtle pattern of three broken lines running down the length of their carapace. Males are very different, changing colour dramatically during breeding season. They transform from subdued greys and browns to one of the most beautiful turtles in the world. When in full breeding colour, males have a striking white neck and head with a brilliant red diamond on the top, between and behind their eyes. Their shells become bolder, with a high contrast of light grey and a bold pattern of dark green to black running in three broken lines down the carapace length. The carapace also has a pattern of dark blotches running around the margin.