The Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) is a rare species of freshwater turtle that can be found in Southeast Asia and southern China. It is named after its unproportionally large head which leads to an inability to retreat into its shell.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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AquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract ...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe carapace of the Big-headed turtle is yellow to brown in color and the plastron is usually yellow. The legs are covered with large scales and the tail is very long and muscular.
Big-headed turtles are found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. They live in fast-flowing streams and waterfalls in rocky and mountainous areas.
Big-headed turtles are solitary nocturnal creatures. During the day they rest among rocks or under the water and prefer to move during the night. These turtles are not prone to moving long distances and males usually move further than females. They are not strong swimmers, and when swimming, they occasionally arch their tail in the manner of a scorpion. Big-headed turtles readily climb over obstacles in and around rivers and fast streams, using their tails as a prop to extend the reach of their strong claws. They also use their beaks to assist in climbing and can even climb trees and bushes. Since Big-headed turtles cannot pull their head in their shell they will not hesitate to use their powerful jaws to defend themselves.
Big-headed turtles are carnivores (piscivores, molluscivores). They feed on fish, snails and worms, insects, crabs, and mollusks and can also add to their diet fruits.
The information about the mating system and reproductive behavior of Big-headed turtles is scarce. It is only known that females lay between 2 and 8 eggs per year. Young males become reproductively mature at the age of 13 years, while females mature when they are 8 years old.
Big-headed turtles are threatened by the collection for pet trade and are found quite frequently in the illegal wildlife trade. They are also consumed in Asia. Hunters capture them on lines with baited straight pins, so this species is rapidly disappearing in the wild.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Big-headed turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
