One of the 41 turtles and tortoises on WAnimals
Reptiles · Testudines · Geoemydidae
Northern River Terrapin
Batagur baska
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The northern river terrapin is one of the most threatened turtles on the planet: fewer than a hundred known breeding females remain, spread across a few rivers in India and Bangladesh. In the breeding season the males take on spectacular colours: the head turns black and the neck an intense red, a change unheard of among turtles.
Weight
18 kg – 37 kg
Size
50 cm – 60 cm
Lifespan
60 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Estimated population
Fewer than 100 known breeding females
Fun facts
- The males change colour to breed: the head turns black and the neck an intense scarlet for a few weeks, a seasonal dimorphism that almost no other turtle shows.
- It was given up for extinct in several South East Asian countries before remnant populations were found in temples and ponds, where they had gone for decades without anyone identifying the species.
- Fewer than a hundred known breeding females remain in the world, and practically the whole recovery programme depends on a few breeding centres in India and Bangladesh.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Estuaries, mangroves and the lower reaches of great rivers around the Bay of Bengal
- Sexual maturity
- 12 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 70 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 25 eggs
Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_river_terrapin
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Northern River Terrapin — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Southeast Asian Box Turtle
Cuora amboinensis
Least ConcernSaltwater Crocodile
Crocodylus porosus
Burmese Python
Python bivittatus
Common Water Monitor
Varanus salvator
Asian Tiger Shrimp
Penaeus monodon
Monocled Cobra
Naja kaouthia
How to help
The northern river terrapin is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 1 real protected area — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about northern river terrapin.
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