Identification:
The turtle is of medium size. The carapace is slightly domed, ranging in color from gray to brown. Immature individuals have numerous, noticeable spots that fade with maturity. Adult turtles have orange or pale yellow stripes on their heads and necks. The plastron is typically yellow and often features short stripes on the scutes. Adult turtles possess a hinge on their plastron, allowing them to partially enclose their body within the carapace.
Its size and external appearance are very similar to the Southeast Asian Box Turtle (Cyclemys tcheponensis), but the Southeast Asian Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys pulchristriata) has a yellow carapace and stripes, whereas the Southeast Asian Box Turtle (Cyclemys) has a black carapace.
Compared to the Asian Giant Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis), immature individuals are also very similar to the Southeast Asian Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys pulchristriata), but each plastron scute of the latter has a fan-shaped pattern formed from black stripes and lacks a hinge, while species of the Cyclemys genus have a non-fully-closing hinge.
Biology, Ecology:
The turtle inhabits streams and marshes, where water flows slowly or is stagnant. It is omnivorous, consuming insects, worms, fish, and aquatic plants.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Found throughout the country, from North to South.
- Global: Eastern Cambodia and a portion of southern Laos bordering Vietnam.
Conservation Status:
The population in the wild is increasingly declining due to hunting. Despite its wide distribution, the number of individuals is not high and is being overexploited.
Conservation Measures:
This species holds scientific and aesthetic value, aiding students in understanding its ecological behavior in nature. Hunting and trade should be strictly prohibited. Captive breeding programs should be organized in protected areas to propagate and release individuals into the wild, and to preserve the genetic resources.