C. senegalensis is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, and Togo.

The preferred natural habitats of C. senegalensis are freshwater wetlands and savanna.[1]C.

The carapace is olive, either uniform or with small dark blotches.

Hatchlings have longitudinal rows of small tubercles on the carapace.

Large adults of C. senegalensis have jaws strong enough to also eat freshwater clams and snails.