Black Marsh Turtle is a hard shelled turtle in the family Geoemydidae. It lives in stagnant or sluggish water bodies including marshes, swamps, ponds, streams and lakes. It is known to be highly carnivorous; it has a broad head and strong jaws for crunching mollusc and carrion bones (Hopson, n.d.). However, it is considered an omnivore too as its diet also includes rotting plants, fruits and carcasses (Moll & Moll, 2004). It is native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
This turtle can be easily recognized by its upwardly curved jaw line which gives it the common name of "Smiling turtle". It can grow up to 20 cm (straight carapace length) (Das, 2010). The ovoid carapace is dark grey or nearly black, while the plastron is pale grey with large dark areas in each scute. The juvenile has light coloured spots on the head. These light coloured spots remain in the adult female while they will fade with growth in the male (Das, 2010).
Due to both exploitation and habitat conversion and loss, the Black Marsh Turtle is categorized as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (IUCN, 2018). This vulnerable species is listed as protected wildlife under the first schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, to control its export trade.
Year Published | Assessment | Red List Category | Version |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Endangered (EN)
|
3.1 |
2000 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
2.3 |
Profile | |
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Amirrudin Bin Ahmad (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Amphibians, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Fishes, Reptiles,
Biodiversity, Data Analysis, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Living Modified Organism (LMO), Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas & Invasive Alien Species
|
Charles Leh Moi Ung (Dr.)
Sarawak Museum Department (JMS)
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Fishes, Turtle, Tortoise, and Terrapin, Crustaceans,
Biodiversity & Science
|
Chen Pelf Nyok (Dr.)
Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS)
|
Turtle, Tortoise, and Terrapin (Ecology), Reptiles (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Education & Environment
|
Kaviarasu Munian (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Reptiles (Ecology), Amphibians (Ecology), Fishes (Ecology),
|
Lim Boo Liat (Dr.)
|
Reptiles (Ecology), Rodents (Ecology), Amphibians (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Ecosystems & Invasive Alien Species
|
Mohamad Rosni Bin Othman (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Amphibians, Coral Reefs, Turtle, Tortoise, and Terrapin, Amphibians,
Law and Policy, Management & Marine & Coastal
|
Mohammad Shahfiz Azman (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Amphibians, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles,
Awareness, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest, Landscape, Law and Policy, Management, Protected Areas, Science, Systematics, Invasive Alien Species, Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC), National Policy on Biological Diversity, Policy, Research and Development (R&D) & Zoonotic
|
Mohd Abdul Muin Bin Md Akil (Mr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
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Amphibians, Birds, Reptiles, Snakes,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution, Genetics, Molecular, Protected Areas, Climate Change & Invasive Alien Species
|
Mohd Zulfadli Bin Mohd Arshad (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Rodents (Taxonomy), Reptiles,
Molecular, Biodiversity & Science
|
Norhayati Binti Ahmad (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Frogs and Toads, Snakes, Amphibians, Reptiles,
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Teo Eng Wah (Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Reptiles, Amphibians,
Invasive Alien Species
|
Acknowledgements :- Mr. Ahmad Amir Firdaus Bin Mad Apandi, Ms. Aida Salihah Binti Abu Bakar, Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom, Mrs. Aziemah Binti Kinan, Mr. Badrul Amin Bin Jaffar, Ms. Mira Farzana Binti Mohamad Mokhtar, Ms. Noor Amira Aini Binti Noor Anwar, Ms. Nor Liyana Binti Hassan, Ms. Norazah Binti Norddin, Ms. Nur Farahin Binti Mustafa, Ms. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Ms. Nurul Aimi Amirah Binti Mohd Zaki, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Photo credit :- Dr Teo Eng Wah, Kaviarasu Munian & USM
Species Citation :- Siebenrockiella crassicollis. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/21606. [Retrieved 27 March 2023].
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