UNEP-WCMC - Painted Terrapin

HABITAT An aquatic estuarine turtle inhabiting areas of tidal influence of medium to large rivers. Often found in mangrove swamps in Sarawak. They inhabit sandy beaches of the rivers where they make their nests.

GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD A turtle of the Sunderland region, occurring from the southernmost provinces of Thailand in the north, southward throughout West Malaysia to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

CURRENT POPULATION Widely distributed in Malaysia but few large populations remain. On the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia the largest known breeding population consists of 200 adult females on the Setiu-Chalok river system, about 600 - 700 Painted Terrapins live in Sundai Setiu in Terengganu. Only two to three rivers have more than 100 nesting females while most have fewer than 50. Painted Terrapins are reported to be very rare in Thailand.

SIZE 50 to 70cm.

WEIGHT 1.7kg.

AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY Unknown.

NORMAL DIET Comprises chiefly of fruits and greenery from riverside plants and from mangroves. The turtle sometimes feeds on a variety of village refuse, especially fruit scraps, discarded into the water.

NORMAL LIFESTYLE The terrapin rests on submerged snags in mangrove swamps with just the head exposed above water. Individuals are reported to frequently crawl out on to logs or mats of vegetation to bask. Reproduction is seasonal from June to August on the east coast and from October to January on the west coast. Nesting is undertaken at night at low tide on sand beaches along the sea within a few kilometres of the mouth of their home river. In mangrove areas which lack such beaches, sandbanks within the river must be substituted. Males are not seen near the nesting beaches and presumably do not accompany females on their down-river nesting migration. Up to 20 eggs may be deposited in the nest from which hatchlings emerge after approximately 70 days.

PREVIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD As present, but more widespread, especially in places such as Thailand where it is almost extinct.

REASONS FOR DECLINE Low reproduction and severe egg loss coupled with destruction of habitat by the removal of vegetation, dam building and sand removal from nesting areas.

CURRENT THREATS Over-exploitation of eggs for food appears to be the primary threat. Egg collectors are licensed on most of the east coast nesting areas of Peninsular Malaysia and eggs may fetch four to five times the price of chicken eggs. Adults do not appear to be regularly exploited in this area although they are harvested for meat in Kalimantan. The heavy demand for eggs coupled with the turtles low reproductive potential and stereotyped nesting habits make the Callagur one of the most seriously threatened river turtles in Southeast Asia. There have been reports in Peninsular Malaysia of athletes drinking terrapin blood to improve performances and the turtles are believed to have medicinal properties. This idea may become popular, accelerating decimation of populations. Activities such as sand mining on rivers, beach front development, removal or destruction of vegetation, the construction of sea walls, jetties and offshore developments all affect the survival ofthe terrapins by destroying nesting sites and disturbing their natural behaviour.

CONSERVATION PROJECTS In West Malaysia, the states of Kelantan, Pahang, Perak and Terengganu have legislation protecting the killing of turtles and giving the state authority to license egg collectors and to lease collecting areas.

The Fisheries Department require 70 per cent of the eggs collected for incubation, however usually only 30 percent is surrendered and the rest sold to markets. A hatchery programme, begun in 1978 at Mankok on the Setiu-Chalok river purchases around a thousand eggs per year from collectors, however prices from the markets are usually higher than those paid by the Fisheries Department so fewer eggs are sold to the Department than to the market. There is some legislation against the collection of eggs and the killing of turtles in most areas of Peninsular Malaysia. There have been many projects to observe and track the Painted Terrapin to gain more information on it's lifestyle to aid conservation.

SPECIAL FEATURES

REFERENCES

Moll, O. (1987) The River Terrapin Conservation Program in Malaysia: Follow up study and Evaluation.

Pritchard, P. (1979) The Encyclopedia of Turtles.

The IUCN Amphibia - Reptilia Red Data Book Part 1 Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia 1982.

WWF Malaysia Monthly Journal (December 1994) Duniaku. Confusion and Concern Over 'Terrapin' Blood Drinking. p.12.

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