[4] Turtles of the genus Emydura can grow quite large,[5] 30 cm (12 in) or more is not unusual, and have a life span of around 20–30 years.

They generally do not hibernate as their warmer climate lets them remain active all year round; they also spend more time in the water than other turtles.

They are considered omnivorous but rely on a constant supply of meat to remain healthy, feeding on basically anything that will fit into their mouth.

In Australia, the public require a basic reptiles licence to purchase these turtles; taking from the wild is strictly prohibited.

Species and notable subspecies arranged according to most recent review of Georges & Thomson, 2010[2] with some modification after Kehlmaier et al. 2019[6][2] are: