Asian leaf turtle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Asian leaf turtle
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Cyclemys
Species:	dentata
Cyclemys dentata range map
Synonyms
Emys hasseltii Boie, 1826 (nomen nudum) Emys dhor Gray, 1831 Emys hasselti Boie, 1831 (ex errore) Cyclemys orbiculata Bell, 1834 Cistudo diardii Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Clemmys (Clemmys) hasseltii Boie, 1835 Cistudo (Cyclemys) dentata Gray, 1844 Emys diardii Schlegel, 1849 Cyclemys dentata Gray, 1856 Cyclemys bellii Gray, 1863 Cyclemys ovata Gray, 1863 Cistudo orbiculata Giebel, 1866 Cyclemys dhor Gray, 1870 Cistudo diardi Smith, 1931 (ex errore) Cyclemys belli Smith, 1931 (ex errore) Cyclemis dentata Goode, 1967 Cyclemys ovala Taylor, 1970 (ex errore) Cyclemys dentata dentata Bonin, Devaux & Dupré, 1996 Cyclemys dentate Zhou, 2006 (ex errore)

The Asian leaf turtle (scientific name: Cyclemys dentata) is a cool type of turtle. You can find these turtles living in the forests and waters of Southeast Asia. They are sometimes kept as pets. Their shells look a bit like another turtle called the Malayan box turtle.

What They Eat

Asian leaf turtles eat many different things. They are known as omnivores. This means they eat both plants and meat.

• They enjoy eating plants and fruits.
• They also munch on snails and crabs.
• Fish are part of their diet too.
• These turtles are also scavengers. This means they will eat dead animals they find.

How They Behave

The Asian leaf turtle is quite shy. It can be hard to spot them in the wild. They are not very strong swimmers. Instead of swimming freely, they prefer to walk along the bottom of the water.

Adult turtles often spend their nights on land. During the day, they move into the water. If an Asian leaf turtle feels scared, it might squirt out the contents of its stomach. This is a defense mechanism to try and scare away predators.

How Big They Get

Asian leaf turtles can grow to a good size.

• They can be 6 to 9.5 inches (15 to 24 cm) long.
• Their width can be about 4.5 to 6.5 inches across.

Where They Live

You can find the Asian leaf turtle in many parts of Asia. They live in:

• North India
• North-east India (like Manipur)
• Bangladesh
• Myanmar (also known as Burma)
• Thailand
• Cambodia
• Vietnam
• West Malaysia
• Indonesia (on islands like Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Bali)
• The Philippines (especially the Palawan region and Calamian Islands)
• China

These turtles can live in areas up to 1,200 meters (about 3,900 feet) above sea level.