Southeast Asian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis): habitat and range

Fun facts

It is one of the principal victims of what is known as the Asian turtle crisis: the trade for food, traditional medicine and ritual release moves millions of turtles a year in Asia and has brought dozens of species to the brink of extinction in two decades.
Ritual release at Buddhist temples, conceived as an act of compassion, is counterproductive: the turtles are bought from traffickers, released into unsuitable habitats and feed the demand that sustains the trapping.
Its hinged plastron lets it close up completely, a mechanism that has appeared independently in turtles of the Americas, Asia and Africa.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
Habitat and environment: Rice fields, marshes, slow streams and flooded forest of South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: 75 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Cuora amboinensis

Where to find it

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 25.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Southeast Asian Box Turtle — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

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How to help

The southeast asian box turtle is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 9 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

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Southeast Asian Box Turtle