The Vietnamese pond turtle, also known as the Annam leaf turtle, can be recognized by the color pattern of the head: dark with three or four yellow stripes down the side. They are endemic to central Vietnam and inhibit wetlands and aquatic areas. This species was abundant prior to the 1930s but … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Pond Turtle (M. annamensis)
Chelonian
Indonesian Box Turtle (C. amboinensis)
The Indonesian box turtle, also known as the Amboina box turtle or the southeast Asian box turtle, can be found in the lowland tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. They are aquatic and prefer warm, wet environments. They inhabit rice paddy fields, shallow ponds, and marshes. Their heads are a … [Read more...] about Indonesian Box Turtle (C. amboinensis)
Desert Box Turtle (T. ornata luteola)
The desert box turtle, also known as the Sonoran box turtle, inhabits the desert grasslands and shrublands of the southwestern US and northern Mexico. For the most part, they are terrestrial but occasionally go into the water. Because of a movable hinge between its pectoral and abdominal structures, … [Read more...] about Desert Box Turtle (T. ornata luteola)
Chinese Box Turtle (C. flavomarginata)
The Chinese box turtle, also known as the Snake-eating turtle or the yellow-margined box turtle, is found in China, Japan, and Taiwan. These semi-aquatic turtle’s habitats are highly variable. They spend most of their time in evergreen forests, grasslands, aquatic systems such as rice pattie fields, … [Read more...] about Chinese Box Turtle (C. flavomarginata)
Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise (M. emys emys)
The Burmese brown mountain tortoise occurs in southern Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. They inhabit temperate, moist habitats such as highland tropical forests. They need very humid environments and rarely stray far from a source of water. Unlike most tortoises, Burmese brown mountain … [Read more...] about Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise (M. emys emys)