It seems to display a degree of social structure during the cooler dry season around the hydrothermal vents that line some river systems it inhabits.

[citation needed] C. insculpta is omnivorous, eating a wide variety of plant and animal matter, including the flowers, fruit and leaves of figs, as well as preying upon crustaceans, molluscs and insects.

Hatching may be triggered when the eggs have been flooded with water or by a sudden drop in air pressure signaling an approaching storm.

[citation needed] Using environmental triggers, along with vibrations created by other hatching turtles in the same clutch, gives a better chance for survival.

Some 11,000 pig-nosed turtles captured from smugglers were released into their habitats in the Wania River, Papua Province, Indonesia, on 30 December 2010.

In March 2009, more than 10,000 pig-nosed turtles retrieved from smugglers were also released into the Otakwa River in Lorentz National Park.

While juveniles are small and grow slowly, their high cost and large potential size makes them suitable only for experienced aquatic turtle keepers.

They get sick easily, which can cause problems with their feeding, but they are known to eat commercially available processed turtle pellets or trout chow, as well as various fruits and vegetables.

[citation needed] Wild populations of this turtle are declining rapidly because of illegal capture for the pet trade.