The spiny turtle (Heosemys spinosa) is a South-East Asian turtle species. It inhabits lowland and hill rainforest, usually dwelling in the vicinity of small streams in hill areas up to 1,000 m above sea level. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...

Spiny turtle
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]>
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Heosemys
Species:	H. spinosa
Binomial name
Heosemys spinosa (Gray, 1830[1])
Synonyms[3]
Emys spinosae Gray, 1830 Geoemyda spinosa Gray, 1834 Clemmys (Clemmys) spinosa Fitzinger, 1835 Heosemys spinosa Stejneger, 1902

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The spiny turtle is a medium-sized tortoise with a brown shell and red-spotted head.^[4] Also known as the “cog-wheel turtle,” it derives its name from its spiky-edged carapace, marginal scutes, and spiny keel.^[5][6][7] As juvenile spiny turtles become adults, the black striped and yellow underside of their shell fades in color.^[5] In addition, the juveniles’ serrations, or jagged edges, at the carapace margin decrease in size and become restricted to the carapace’s rear margin.^[8] These changes of the spine and carapace serve as evolutionary adaptations attempting to prevent predators from preying on juvenile turtles.^[6]

The spiny turtle belongs to the kingdom of Animalia, the order of Testudines, and the genus of Heosemys.^[9] The classification of Heosemys incorporates four species: Heosemys annandalii, Heosemys depressa, Heosemys grandis, and Heosemys spinosa; however, relationships between the four are undetermined.^[10] Variation among the Heosemys spinosa is also uncertain, but it has been suggested that there are two types: a “mainland form” dwelling in Malaysia, Thailand, and southern Myanmar, and an “insular form” found in Indonesia and the Philippines, possibly in Brunei and Singapore as well.^[10]

Adult spiny turtles’ carapace length usually falls between 175 mm to 220 mm and their mass ranges from 1.5 kg to 2.0 kg.^[7]

The spiny turtle buries itself in leaf litter to camouflage during the day and only emerges at night, foraging for food.^[4][6]

While often portrayed as a herbivore, the spiny turtle also eats carrion and insects alongside fruits and plants.^[4] Fruit from the yin-ngan tree is especially important for the turtle, and in Myanmar, the turtle often dwells beneath these trees when the trees are fruiting.^[11] Similarly, captive juvenile spiny turtles consume fruit salads multiple times a week, particularly those containing tomatoes.^[7] At the Kubah National Park in Sarawak, analysis of fecal content revealed the turtles’ role as seed dispersal agents, for their fecal matter contained five different seed types.^[12] Arthropods and hair were also found in the samples, suggesting consumption of mammals and other animals.^[12]

Mating occurs in December and February, and appears to be triggered by rain.^[7] Regarding nesting behavior in the wild, the female lays one or two eggs in a nest and produces up to three clutches annually.^[7]

In captivity, it has been observed that spraying males with water results in them chasing females and attempting to mount.^[7] To ease the delivery of the egg, a hinge forms in the female turtle’s plastron before it is laid.^[13] The egg is usually covered with a partial layer of substrate, and researchers have found eggs laid in a so-called “protected spot” underneath cork bark or thick foliage.^[4]

Many attempts at reproduction in captivity have proved unsuccessful due to the eggs’ shells being thick and prone to bursting if the substrate is too damp.^[4] The first successful copulation in captivity occurred in 1991 at Zoo Atlanta, where incubation lasted for 106 days in a medium of peat moss, long fiber peat moss, and damp sand.^[7] For the first 35 days, the egg was incubated at a temperature of 28-30°C, and for the last 71 days, the temperature was decreased to 26-28°C.^[7]

The spiny turtle is known from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.^[1][14] It lives along brooks in forested areas, usually in mountains with altitudes of 170 m to 1,000 m above sea level.^[4][15]

Labeled as “vulnerable” by the IUCN in 1996, the spiny turtle became endangered in 2000 when the supply of the species declined by a half in the Chinese food market.^[4] It is suggested that the main threat to the spiny turtle has been the destruction of natural forests to create oil palm plantations, common in southern Myanmar.^[11] The spiny turtle’s participation in the international pet trade and its use in traditional Chinese medicine has also led to its decline.^[4] However, numerous conservation efforts have been undertaken because the turtle is protected by the Philippines Wildlife Act and other initiatives.^[6][15] A spiny turtle hatching at the Chester Zoo in the UK in 2013 has also given hope to conservationists that the species may be retained.^[16]