A FIELD GUIDE TO THE

Reptiles of Thailand

JOHN W.K. PARR

TANYA CHAN- ARD

JARUJIN NABHITABHATA

Illustrated by

Kritchanan Petcha- um

Anantapong Poolsawat

Worachej Prom- Nu

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CHAPTER 1

TurtlesOrder Testudines

This Order contains all the reptiles commonly called turtles, with their typi-cal characteristics. This group comprises shelled reptiles with solid, anapsid skulls. It is the most primitive order of living reptiles. Worldwide this group contains 12 families, of which six are represented in Thailand. These com-prise the big- headed turtle (Platysternidae), the leatherback turtle (Dermo-chelyidae), the sea turtles (Cheloniidae), the softshell turtles (Trionychidae), the freshwater pond turtles (Geoemydidae) and the tortoises (Testudinidae).

KEY TO THE THAI TESTUDINES

1 a Carapace and plastron covered with clearly demarcated horny shields 2

b Carapace and plastron covered with continuous layer of undivided skin 5

2 a Front limbs in form of elongate flippers, without separated digits; each forelimb with one or two claws; intergular present; marine cheloniidae

b Front limbs with distinct digits or club shaped, each bearing four or five claws; intergular present or absent 3

3 a Inframarginal scute(s) present, separating pectoral and abdominal scutes from marginal scutes; tail as long as shell Platysternidae

b Inframarginal scute absent; pectoral and abdominal scutes in contact with marginal scutes 4

4 a Hind feet elephantine, front limbs usually with osteoderms; terrestrial Testudinidae

b Hind feet not elephantine, but usually webbed (F8), no osteoderms on forelimbs; typically aquatic Geoemydidae

5 a Carapace raised into five or seven prominent longitudinal ridges, upper jaw strongly cusped; limbs clawless Dermochelyidae

b Carapace never ridged; upper jaw not cusped, claw present, neck long, snout elongate Trionychidae

Key modified from Dollinger (1985).

Verso Running Head Recto Running Head 1918

Characteristically found in rocky places and reefs. Also frequents shallow coastal waters, mangrove- fringed bays, and estuaries. Range: Found in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, including the islands of Koh Khram and Koh Kra. Regional Range: Occurs throughout the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. International Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES: Appendix I.

Softshell Turtles Family Trionychidae

Members of this family are aquatic, with smooth skin completely covering the shell. The digits are distinct and they have three claws. Five species are known in four genera from Thailand.

KEY TO THE THAI TRIONYCHIDAE

1 a Snout (proboscis) as long as greatest diameter of orbit 2

b Snout shorter than greatest diameter of orbit Pelochelys

2 a Postorbital arch much broader than greatest diameter of orbit; triturating surfaces narrow and sharp Chitra

b Postorbital arch narrower than greatest diameter of orbit; triturating surfaces broad and flat 3

3 a All eight pairs of costals prevented from touching medially by neural bones; juvenile with red spot behind the eye Dogania

b 7th or 8th pair of costals touch medially not separated by neural; juvenile without red spot behind the eye, head olive with yellow spots; 5 plastral callosities callosities Amyda

Key modified from Ernst and Barbour (1989).

Softshell Turtle Genus Amyda

This genus is tropical and aquatic. It has five plastral callosities. They have long noses. The nuchal is at least three times as broad as it is long. World-wide: One species. Thailand: One species.

7 Asiatic Softshell Turtle Amyda cartilagineaCarapace Length: Up to 70.0 cm.

Distinguished from other softshell turtles by having numerous small yellow spots on the olive- coloured head, neck and limbs. Usually there are large or-ange or pink markings on the sides of the head. The oval carapace is olive grey to greenish brown with numerous yellow- border black spots. The male plas-tron is white while the female plastron is greyish. Behaviour: Almost entirely aquatic. Mainly nocturnal. It has a carnivorous diet, feeding on fish, amphib-ians, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and other aquatic invertebrates. Annually

lays 3 to 4 clutches of 3- 6 eggs. Habitat: Occurs in slow- flowing rivers and streams in low- lying areas as well as upland waterways. Also found in marsh-es and ponds. Range: Found throughout Thailand. Recorded in Kamphaeng Phet, Uthai Thani, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Pathum Thani, Surat Thani and Satun Provinces. Regional Range: Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. International Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix II.

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Narrow- Headed Softshell Turtles Genus Chitra

This group is tropical and aquatic. They have narrow heads—the triturating surface is narrow and sharp. They have short noses. Worldwide: Three spe-cies. Thailand: Two species.

KEY TO THE THAI CHITRA

1 a Overall coloration greenish- yellow to olive- green; carapacial pattern simple; paramedian neck stripes form a bell- like pattern on anterior carapace and neck stripes that form a continuous rim around carapace; lacks a distinct third pair of neck stripes C.chitra

b Overall coloration chocolate brown; carapacial pattern moderately complex; paramedian neck stripes absent on anterior carapace and neck stripes do not form a continuous rim around carapace; distinct third pair of neck stripes C.vandijki

Key modified from McCord and Pritchard (2002).

8 Narrow- headed Softshell Turtle Chitra chitraCarapace Length: Up to 110.0 cm.

A large softshell with a flattened rounded carapace which is pale brown to olive with irregular patterning of darker edged, brown blotches; by compar-ison, the Myanmar Narrow- headed Softshell Turtle has a chocolate brown body coloration. The carapacial pattern is simple with a carapacial midline usually present. The neck stripes form a bell- like pattern on the anterior carapace; the neck stripes also form a continuous light rim around the car-apace; no such rim is present in Myanmar Narrow- headed Softshell Turtle. The small blunt head and a telescopic proboscis- like snout is olivaceous with

Verso Running Head Recto Running Head 2726

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Asian Leaf Turtles Genus Cyclemys

This group is tropical and generally semi- aquatic. The carapace is only slightly flattened across the vertebrals, and is serrated posteriorly. It has five verte-bral scutes. Worldwide: Seven species. Thailand: Four species.

KEY TO THE THAI CYCLEMYS

1 a Plastron in adult is dark brown to black 2

b Plastron in adult mainly yellow 3

2 a Crown of the head speckled; all juveniles and adults from the eastern part of the range with conspicuous head and neck stripes, adults from the western part of the range unstriped oldhamii

b Crown of the head uniformly copper or light brown, head and neck unstriped enigmatica

3 a Femoral mid- seam shorter than anal mid- seam; anal notch small and acute- angled; throat striped or with light and dark vermiculations, light head and neck stripes narrow (in live specimens reddish); in aged individuals bridge never covered by massive black bar dentata

b Femoral mid- seam shorter than or equal to anal mid- seam; anal notch small to wide and acute- angled to obtuse- angled; throat uniformly light coloured, light head and neck stripes wide (in live specimens yellow or salmon); in aged individuals bridge covered by massive black bar atripons

Key modified from Iskandar (2000), Iverson & McCord (1997) and (Fritz et al 2008).

15 Asian Leaf Turtle Cyclemys dentataCarapace Length: Up to 24.0 cm.

A smaller- sized leaf turtle. Distinguished from other leaf turtles by having a uniformly or mostly yellow plastron. The moderately large head and neck is striped, sometimes speckled with fine black spots on top. The carapace is fairly depressed, being dark brown or olive brown or black. In juveniles the shell is tinged with chestnut and may have dark rays present. The posteri-or margin of the carapace is strongly serrated in the juvenile, but less so in the adult; this feature is common to all members of the genus. The snout is

shorter than the eye, slightly projecting beyond lower jaw. The limbs are dark brown. Behaviour: Omnivorous, feeding on fruits, leafy vegetation, inver-tebrates and dead animals. Lays 1- 3 hard- shelled eggs per clutch. Habitat: One of the most common turtles of forested streams and environs. Juveniles are found in hill streams, while adults are more terrestrial. Found in a range of forest habitats, at altitudes between 300- 1,500 metres. Range: Found in peninsular Thailand, south of the Isthmus of Kra. Regional Range: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. International Conservation Status: IUCN: Lower Risk; CITES: Appendix I.

16 Black- striped Leaf Turtle Cyclemys oldhamiiCarapace Length: Up to 25.0 cm.

A relatively largish Cyclemys species, resembling other black- bellied leaf tur-tles. The carapace, which has a single keel, and the soft parts of the body are dark brown. The head and neck are dark and faintly striped, especially in ju-veniles and turtles from the eastern part of the range (formerly known as C. tcheponensis). The plastron is dark with boldly radiating dark lines. Juveniles are uniformly dark coloured or with small dark dots, with the bold lines soon appearing with growth. Fore limbs have five claws, the hind limbs have four. Behaviour: Omnivorous, feeding on fruits, leafy vegetation, invertebrates and dead animals. Lays 1- 3 hard- shelled eggs per clutch. Habitat: Found in shallow stretches of rivers. Usually hides in vegetation during the day-time. Range: Found in forested areas throught the country. Regional Range: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. International Conservation Status: Presently unlisted.