Identification:
- Size: Medium, with a carapace length up to 210mm.
- Carapace: Possesses three distinct keels. The posterior margin of the carapace lacks serrations.
- Plastron: The anterior margin is nearly straight, while the posterior margin is concave.
- Head: Large, with yellow stripes (one stripe extending from the snout tip, over the eye socket, and towards the neck; another stripe from the nose, beneath the eye socket, to the neck; and a white spot behind the eye socket). The carapace is light to dark brown, sometimes reddish-brown, with an opaque white or very pale yellow marginal border. The pale yellow plastron has gray-black spots on each scute.
Biology and Ecology:
- Habitat: Found in canals, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes, including rice paddies with slow-flowing water.
- Diet: Primarily carnivorous, feeding on crustaceans (crabs, shrimp), insects, worms, small fish, and particularly favoring snails, mussels, and clams.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Đồng Nai, Cần Thơ, Kiên Giang, Cà Mau.
- Worldwide: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.
Value:
- Scientific and Aesthetic Value: Provides valuable insights for students regarding the ecological behaviors of this species in its natural environment. They are also kept in recreational facilities (zoos).
Conservation Status:
- Decline: Wild populations have decreased by at least 20% due to hunting and habitat degradation (pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticide use in rice fields).
- IUCN Status: VU A1c,d + 2cd (Vulnerable)
Conservation Measures:
- Prohibition: Ban hunting and trade.
- Captive Breeding: Organize captive breeding programs in areas where the species is distributed. Collect a few individuals for rearing in zoos to conserve the gene pool.