Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii)

The Asian Giant Softshell Turtle is a freshwater turtle which lives in inland slow-moving rivers and streams in Southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Malaysia), the Indian subcontinent, China and the Philippines.  

It can grow up to 6 feet in length and spends most of its life buried in sandy riverbeds with only its eyes and mouth protruding from the sand.  It mainly feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, and fish, although it will eat some aquatic vegetation.  These turtles are rare and are not well-studied.  Like many turtle species, these turtles are easily caught by trappers who sell them to international traders or eat them.