
ASIATIC SOFTSHELL TURTLE
Scientific name
Amyda cartilaginea
Distribution
Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan), Laos, Malaysia (Sarawak, Sabah, West Malaysia), Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Shell Length
Adult: Up to 85 cm
Hatchling
2.1 - 3.3 cm
Adult Weight
Up to 35 kg
Clutch Size
3 - 28 eggs
Incubation
2 - 4.5 months
Diet
They are predominantly carnivorous, eating a variety of fish, snails, crustaceans, insects and seeds of marsh plants.
Habitat
Aquatic, it prefers wetlands such as marshes, swamps, and large muddy rivers at lower elevations.
Lifespan
Over 30 years
Characteristic
The Asiatic Softshell Turtle is a common species found in Borneo. They have elongated, soft, snorkel-like nostrils. Their necks are disproportionately long in comparison to their body sizes, enabling them to breathe surface air while their bodies remain submerged in the substrate (mud or sand) a foot or more below the surface. There may be a broad, dark saddle which extends across the front part of the carapace, and this may occur in juveniles as well as adults. The carapace, neck, head and limbs of juveniles are covered with numerous yellow speckles, but these tend to fade in adults. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism in the colour of the plastron, which is white in males, grey in females.
IUCN Red List
Vulnerable
Sarawak Wildlife Ordinance
Protected
Local Name
LABI-LABI ASIA
