Wildlifeof Thailand
Southern River Terrapin
Geoemydidae
Photo: Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams · CC BY 2.5 (May be cropped or resized)
Batagur affinis
Basic stats
Diet
Fruit and aquatic vegetation
Habitat
Tidal rivers, estuaries and mangroves
Range
Malay Peninsula and Sumatra
The southern river terrapin is a large aquatic turtle with a smooth oval shell and strong webbed feet. Adults inhabit tidal rivers, estuaries and mangroves, feeding mainly on fruit and aquatic vegetation. Females migrate to sandy banks or beaches to lay eggs, while males develop conspicuous seasonal head and neck coloration (Wikipedia, general species account). It is Nationally Critically Endangered (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Southern River Terrapin eat?
- Fruit and aquatic vegetation
- What habitat does the Southern River Terrapin live in?
- Tidal rivers, estuaries and mangroves
- Where is the Southern River Terrapin found?
- Malay Peninsula and Sumatra