Preserved specimens are dorsally brown, with darker markings that may be interconnected but do not form any regular pattern.

[3] This almost purely aquatic species occurs in lakes, ponds and other bodies of water in Cerrado and Caatinga savanna at elevations below 1,000 m (3,300 ft).

It appears to use both visual and sensory clues to detect threats, to which it responds by diving.

A study from Goiás found diet consisting primarily of insects, with a minor contribution of arachnids.

[4] Pseudis bolbodactyla is a common species that can suffer from overgrazing by domestic livestock, infrastructure development (including dams), and water pollution from agriculture.