THe PhiliPPINE FOREST TURTLE

The Philippine Forest Turtle has been a puzzling creature for years. For 80 years nobody truly knew its geographic distribution, ecology, and natural history because of the turtle’s rarity. Only recently have people discovered that the species is native to Palawan. It was previously thought that the turtles resided in Leyte, this error was the cause of mislabeling (Diesmos et al., 2012).

In the Philippines, the species is known as the largest and heaviest turtle of the geoemydidae family. Their carapace can measure more than 300mm in length and they can weigh around 3.5kg. The color of their carapace can range from chestnut brown, dark brown, pale yellow, and pale brown. Their most unique and distinct feature would be the white or yellowish line that crosses around their head. However, as the turtles grow up their lines fade. Old individuals can be found without a distinctive line at all (Diesmos et al., 2012).

A female Philippine Forest Turtle can lay its eggs 2 to 3 times a year and produce 1 to 2 eggs per clutch. The turtles lay their eggs from June to December and the eggs hatch during the dry season. Young Philippine Forest Turtles are fully aquatic for a set amount of time. They reach adulthood in 2 years however, the species’ lifespan is not exactly known (Kidadl, 2021).

Philippine Forest Turtles often choose to hide in their homes. A study showed that the turtles can move at a fairly good speed in contrast to other turtles. Their sturdy shells and good swimming skills keep them safe from predators. The turtles barely interact with others of their species and can appear to be quite timid and shy (Kidadl, 2021).

The Philippine Forest turtle is classified under the sub-genus Panyaenemys. The name of this sub-genus comes from the word “Panya-en '' which translates to “enchanted” because the species were said to be pets of forest spirits. Locals keep the turtles in pig water troughs as they believe the turtles bring luck (Reptile Handbook, n.d.). However, this is a practice that should immediately stop as the turtles need to stay in the wild.