McCord, Iverson and Boeadi, 1995
Sulawesi forest turtle
Recognition
The low, elongated carapace (to 25.6 cm) bears three well-developed keels, with the medial highest, serrations both anteriorly and posteriorly, and is widest behind the middle. Marginals 1-2 and 9-12 are flared outward. Each vertebral is broader than long or as broad as long; underlying neurals 1-6 are hexagonal with the shortest side posterior, neural 7 is quadrangular, and neural 8 is hexagonal with its anterior side shortest. Each adult carapacial scute bears growth annuli. The carapace is orange to tan, with yellowish keels and dark seams. The plastron is yellowish brown with some dark pigmentation toward the outside of each scute. The plastral formula is an > pect = abd > hum > fem > gul. The intergular seam is less than 50% the length of the interanal seam. The bridge is about as long as the posterior plastron lobe, bears both axillary and inguinal scutes, and is yellow with some dark mottling. Skin covering its posterior surface of the head is divided into scales. Limb scalation is similar to that of Geoemyda spengleri.
Males are larger with more strongly hooked upper jaws; concave plastra; long, thick tails with the vent beyond the carapace rim; cream-colored anterior-dorsal heads and jaws; and a whitish chin. Females have shorter tails with the vent beneath the carapace marginals, and the tympanic region cream-colored, the upper jaw dark brown or black, and a yellow chin.
Distribution
This species is only known from the northern part of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Geographic Variation
Unknown.
Habitat
Semi-aquatic in shallow forested waterways.
Natural History
McCord et al. (1995) reported that captives relish strawberries, bananas, and romaine lettuce, and that they are good climbers.
IUCN Red List Status (1996)
Data deficient.