A male painted terrapin photographed by the Setiu River.
Photo credit: P.N. Chen.

Common name: Painted terrapin
Scientific name: Batagur borneoensis
Local Malaysian name: Tuntung laut

Conservation status: Listed as critically endangered in the 2009 IUCN Red List and in CITES Appendix I

Adult female shell length: 50 – 70 cm
Adult female body weight: 15 – 50 kg

Food: Adults are mainly herbivorous, feeding on mangrove apple (Sonneratia sp.), sedges (Scleria sp.), screw pine (Pandanus sp.), Colocasia (Ficus sp.) and water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes)

Range: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo)

Nesting sites in Malaysia: Terengganu

Characteristics: Upturned snout, five front claws, black patches on the carapace

Sexual dimorphism: Adult males are smaller than adult females. During the nesting season, the male’s head turns white and a red stripe appears between the eyes

Nesting season: June to August

Number of nests deposited per individual per season: Unknown

Inter-nesting interval (interval between each nesting): Unknown

Number of eggs per nest: Unknown

Incubation duration: Unknown

Hatchling shell length: To be updated
Hatchling body weight: To be updated