The Fraser Island short-necked turtle is so called so because it's head and neck combined do not equal the length of the shell. The head is smooth and there are five claws on each of the webbed forelimbs and four on the webbed hindlimbs. The plastron is white, or a creamy gray. The carapace and limbs are very dark. Most Emydura present on the mainland have a yellow stripe behind the eye, however those on the island appear to be missing this feature. Yet, they both have a characteristic yellow stripe extending from the lower jaw to the side of the neck. Several populations on the island differ in carapace color, from dark to light brown, depending on which lake they reside in