Giant Asian Pond TurtleHeosemys grandis

Conservation Actions

Heosemys grandis is included in CITES Appendix II. It is protected from exploitation and trade under domestic legislation in Thailand. In Peninsular Malaysia it is protected and regulated. It is present in several protected areas throughout its range. Research is needed to better determine its population size and trends.

Location Information

This species occurs in southern Viet Nam, the plain areas of Lao PDR, Cambodia, Southeastern Myanmar, central, eastern, and Peninsular Thailand, and western Peninsular and central Malaysia.

Geographic Range

Extant

Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam

Population Information

Heosemys grandis is considered very rare in most of its range, except in Thailand where it is found more frequently.

The population of this species is suspected to have declined by over 80% in the past three generations as a result of intensive harvest for food and habitat loss. This suspected decline is based on trade for consumption, primarily to China (B. Horne and C. Shephard pers. comm. 2018), and significant habitat loss (M. Cota pers. comm. 2018).

Threats

Populations of Heosemys grandis have been decimated throughout its range as a result of intensive harvest for food. It is one of the most common species confiscated in Viet Nam. Adult individuals are now rarely seen outside of Thailand. Within Thailand, habitat loss is a major threat, as most of its range has been converted for agricultural use (M. Cota pers. comm. 2019).

IUCN Red List Account Link

Please click here to see the species' IUCN Red List Account page.