The appearance of the Salty Cement Painted Turtle varies during the breeding season, with females having a brown olive top with brown stripes and a short tail. The male turtle has a grey top with bright red stripes and a long tail. The top of the head of male turtles in non-breeding seasons is reddish brown and darker in color.

The female salty cement tortoise has a wider carapace, a thin and short tail, a thin base of the tail, and anal hole spacing. The posterior edge of the plastron is closer, and the notch formed by the two anal shields of the plastron is shallow. The male salty cement color turtle has a narrow carapace, a long and long tail, and a thick tail base. The cloaca hole is far away from the rear edge of the plastron, and the two anal shields of the plastron have a deep notch.