Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum), recorded as Critically Endangered
Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Big-headed turtle

Platysternon megacephalum

Big-headed turtle is a turtle in the family Platysternidae — Platysternon megacephalum, recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Platysternon megacephalum
CITES
Appendix I
Taxonomy
Testudines · Platysternidae · Platysternon

The turtle

Big-headed turtle is a turtle in the family Platysternidae — Platysternon megacephalum.

Range and habitat

The big-headed turtle is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is commonly found in fast flowing streams and waterfalls in rocky areas.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

The big-headed turtle is known to readily climb over obstacles in and around rivers and fast streams, using its tail as a prop to extend the reach of its strong claws. It also uses its beak to assist in climbing.

It has been reported to climb trees and bushes. Its diet consists of fish, snails and worms.

In crisis

CITES lists this taxon on Appendix I. Confirm the current appendix on the CITES checklist.

Big-headed turtle is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Big-headed turtle, Wikidata item Q754035. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Also in this catalog

Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii
Photograph of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

Quick answers

What is Big-headed turtle?
Big-headed turtle is a turtle in the family Platysternidae — Platysternon megacephalum.
What is the conservation status of Big-headed turtle?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Platysternon megacephalum. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Big-headed turtle live?
The big-headed turtle is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Why is Big-headed turtle in crisis?
It is Critically Endangered on Wikidata. Read the official Red List assessment for the criteria.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Platysternon megacephalum?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Big-headed turtle a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.