Species Fact Profile: Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri)

Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle

Geoemyda spengleri (Gmelin, 1789)

Range: Northern Vietnam and Laos, Southern China
Habitat: Montane Woodlands, Wetlands
Diet: Snails, Slugs, Earthworms, Fruit
Social Grouping: Solitary, Territorial
Reproduction: Breed June to August.  1-2 eggs laid per clutch, may lay three clutches per year about five to six weeks apart.  Eggs incubate for 66-73 days.
Lifespan: 20 Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Endangered, CITES Appendix III (China)

• Shell length 11-13 centimeters, weigh 190 grams
• Shell is flat with prominent keels running down the length, distinctly serrated at the front and back.  Plastron (bottom portion of the shell) is dark brown or black, edged in yellow.  The carapace (top portion) may be orange-yellow or brown-green).  Skin is grey-brown, lighter on the head.  Eyes are very large and protuberant, giving turtle alert appearance
• Primarily terrestrial, spends most of its time buried in the leaf litter.  Usually enters the water just to drink or defecate, prefers soaking to swimming
• Scientific name honors Danish naturalist Lorenz Spengler
• Threatened due to over-collection from the wild, whether for food, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or the pet trade.  Also loss of habitat due to forest being cleared for agriculture