THANH HOA (ANN/VIETNAM NEWS) – The Management Board of Pu Hu Nature Reserve in Quan Hoa District in the central province of Thanh Hoa, Vietnam have discovered two rare turtle species, the impressed tortoise (Manouria impressa) and big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum).
The discovery is made as part the ‘Investigation and assessment of the current distribution and conservation of big-headed turtles and impressed tortoises in Pu Hu Nature Reserve’ project.
It aims to sustainably protect the ecosystems of Pu Hu forests, including protecting and maintaining the existence of turtle species.
Impressed tortoises belong to the tortoise family Testudinidae, order Testudinata. They are found in mountainous forest areas in Southeast Asia, mainly in Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and northeast India. The species has a golden brown shell and skin. An adult could have a maximum carapace length of 35 centimetres.
They usually take shelter in ditches or wet valleys at 1,500 metres. Their diet includes fruits, grass and mushrooms.
The big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) is a turtle in the family Platygastridae from Southeast Asia and southern China. They have large unretractable heads and long tails.
The species mainly live in streams in the forest and seek food at dusk or night.
Their main food includes small fish, molluscs, crabs, earthworms and other invertebrates.
