It inhabits slow-flowing rivers, streams, billabongs and paperbark swamps across much of northern Australia.

E. tanybaraga has a great morphological variation between different locations; adults are very similar in appearance to E.

[3] A light yellow band runs from the eye to just above the tympanum.

The plastron is tapered towards the rear with lobes at both ends turned up making the adult turtle look deeper.

As with other species of Emydura, the neck is covered with small smooth tubercles.