Notochelys platynota

Malayan Flat-shelled Turtle

Distribution: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Empire Stock: WC exported from Indonesia.

Size: Up to 32 cm.

Habitat: Found in a variety of water bodies including swamps, streams and ponds.

Diet: I feed them Mazuri Freshwater Turtle pellets and Tortoise diet, romaine, fish, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, and cantaloupe. I have been finding small soft white chunks on the pond bottom for a few weeks. Recently I discovered the source. I witnessed a Notochelys eating Oak acorns that had fallen into the water and swelled. I am not advocating feeding them acorns, just noting that they seem to like them, as there are almost no intact acorns in the pond. This is  compared to other ponds in the same area that are loaded with acorns.

Sexing: Males have longer thicker tails.

Breeding:

Notes: Of the turtles in the Empire this species is voted "most likely to projectile defecate when handled". It is amazing how much can come out of one small turtle. They would probably be less likely to do this if they were handled more often, but I prefer to handle as little as possible.

Care Sheets: ATC

These are very shy turtles and I attribute part of my success in keeping them alive the last few years to housing  them in a shaded pond with plenty of hiding spots in and out of the water.

Sub-adult.

Three juveniles showing a large degree in color variation.

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