Philippine Forest Turtle
The Philippine forest turtle is a critically endangered freshwater turtle native to the Philippines. Its plastron is reddish-brown to black in color, sometimes with blotches of yellow. In juveniles, the plastron is a uniform yellow. The bridge (the hinge connecting plastron and carapace) is the same color as the plastron. It is significantly smaller than the carapace and narrow at the front and back. The skin of the legs, body, and neck are rough in appearance, being covered in tiny tubercles. The head is brown in color, sometimes speckled at the temples with light brown, orange, or red spots. A thin white to pale yellow line traverses through the width of the head just behind the openings of the ears, it may be divided at the center in some individuals. This has led to the species being nicknamed the 'bowtie turtle'. The line is more prominent in younger individuals. The upper jaw of this turtle is hooked and the skin on the sides of the neck and the chin are lighter in color. The lower jaw may also sometimes possess a pair of small yellow spots on the sides. The tail is uniformly light brown in color.
Philippine forest turtles are known only from northern Palawan and surrounding islands. This includes the island of Dumaran where these turtles are still relatively abundant in creeks. In the areas of Taytay and San Vicente, it is believed their populations are declining sharply. Philippine forest turtles live in the lowland riparian forests in rivers, swamps, and streams.
Due to their rarity and their status as newly rediscovered, little is known about the lifestyle of Philippine forest turtles. From observations of captive adults, they proved to be very shy and retiring, spending considerable time hiding under rocks, both in and out of the water. They became active in the early morning and late evening, foraging for food and moved about during the night. They were not observed to be keen on basking in the sun, but this may have been the result of being in a captive environment.
Observations indicate that Philippine forest turtles are omnivores, favoring aquatic plants and they have been observed hunting small fish and crustaceans. In the wild, Philippine forest turtles are known to feed on figs.