Asian giant softshell turtle, Frog-faced softshell turtle
The Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii), also known commonly as Cantor's giant softshell turtle and the frog-faced softshell turtle, is a species of freshwater turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. The species is critically endangered and in the 20th century has disappeared from much of its former range.
The Cantor's giant softshell turtle is a species of freshwater turtle that is native to Southeast Asia. It has been considered to be among the largest extant freshwater turtles. The species is endangered and in the 20th century has disappeared from much of its former range.
Cantor's giant softshell turtles occur in eastern and southern India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, eastern and southern China, the Philippines (Luzon and Mindanao), Indonesia (Kalimantan, Java, and Sumatra), and Papua New Guinea. They inhabit inland, slow-moving, freshwater rivers, lakes, streams, and estuaries. Some evidence indicates that the range of these turtles extends to coastal areas, as well.
Cantor's giant turtles spend most of their life buried and motionless, with only their eyes and mouth protruding from the sand. They surface only twice a day to take a breath and capture their prey by sit-and-wait strategy using an element of surprise.
Cantor's giant softshell turtles are primarily carnivores (piscivores) feeding on fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. They may also supplement their diet with some aquatic plants.
Females of these large freshwater turtles lay their eggs in February or March on riverbanks. The clutch size is usually 20 to 28 eggs around 3-3.6 centimeters (1.2-1.4 in) in diameter.
Cantor's giant softshell turtles are threatened by habitat destruction that disappears from much of their range. They are also heavily harvested by locals for meat and are often killed by fishermen when caught in fishing gear.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of Cantor's giant softshell turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
