The giant Asian pond turtle (Heosemys grandis) inhabits rivers, streams, marshes, and rice paddies from estuarine lowlands to moderate altitudes (up to about 400 metres (1,300 ft)) throughout Cambodia and Vietnam and in parts of Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.[1][5]
Slight variations in coloration can be seen among the species. The carapace of the giant Asian pond turtle has a brown to black coloration with a distinct ridge along the center while the plastron is yellow in color. The head is gray to brown in color.[6]
Capable of living in water or on land the giant Asian pond turtle can be located along bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and canals. The giant Asian pond turtle is omnivorous and finds food in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Their diets consist of worms, larvae, insects, snails, deceased animals, and aquatic and terrestrial plants.[7] Similarly to other species of turtles, the giant Asian pond turtle has developed adaptations and different techniques for capturing prey in both types of environments.[8]
The main area of concern is the illegal capture and export of these turtles for use as food and (less commonly) as pets in parts of Asia. Additionally, their habitat is threatened by land conversion for agriculture.[1][9]
^Lintner M, Weissenbacher A, Heiss E (2012) The Oropharyngeal Morphology in the Semiaquatic Giant Asian Pond Turtle, Heosemys grandis, and Its Evolutionary Implications. PLOS ONE 7(9): e46344. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046344
^Summers, A. P., Darouian, K. F., Richmond, A. M., & Brainerd, E. L. (1998). Kinematics of aquatic and terrestrial prey capture in Terrapene carolina, with implications for the evolution of feeding in cryptodire turtles. The Journal of Experimental Zoology, 281(4), 280-287. doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19980701)281:43.0.co;2-k
^Van Dijk, P. P., Stuart, B. L., & Rhodin, A. G. (Eds.). (2000). Asian Turtle Trade: Proceedings of a Workshop on Conservation and Trade of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises in Asia. Chelonian Research Monographs, 2.
