It is considered as a small turtle with a half of kilogram. Its tortoiseshell is dark brown plate and tiny which has sharp spike being between legs and bottom in each side. Because of big head and legs, it is not able to withdraw in and mouth is also strong like parrot’s. When young, its head would be orange and become dark brown when adult. It has feet with nail which help to climb up a tree or rock and long tail. It has been found with longest length of 17 centimeters.
It has been found in Indochina and Thailand, especially in North Eastern part such as loey, Petchboon, Sakolnakorn and mountain of Northern like Nan. Terrestrial, Freshwater (=Inland waters)
It likes to eat fish, shrimp, shellfish, crab and frog.
It can climb up a high tree and sun in the daytime. It prefers to find food in the nighttime. It is quite fierce and might draw its head out and bite so the easiest way to control will be catching its tail and lifting up. It likes to live in downstream, mountain and clean moving river.
It is a protected animal of Thailand under Thai Wildlife Protection Act. B.E. 2535. It is listed on CITES Appendix II.
CLASS : Reptilia
ORDER : Testudines
FAMILY : Platysternidae
GENUS : Platysternon
SPECIES : Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum)
Conservation status : Endangered
Update : 11 April 2017