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Encyclopedia / Turtles / Big-headed turtle
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Variations

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Big-headed turtle

Platysternon megacephalum · Big headed turtle, Platysternon

Aggressive and biting; will eat fish.

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20 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Big-headed turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Big-headed turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Big-headed turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ?Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–10 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Aggressive and biting; will eat fish.

Check your local laws. CITES Appendix I (whole family Platysternidae, since 2013): commercial international trade in wild-caught animals is prohibited. IUCN Critically Endangered (2021). National Class II protected species in China. USA: turtles under 4 inches (10 cm) carapace may not be sold commercially (FDA). Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know: Needs a land area and cool water.

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Food

Fish, worms, shrimp.

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Male or female

Adult males have the vent beyond the rear edge of the shell (longer tail base) and a slightly more concave plastron; males can grow larger than females.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate

In Hong Kong, gravid females were found in late June and laid eggs in early July in leaf litter beside the stream; larger females lay more eggs.

Pairing

Pair.

Setup

Large aquaterrarium with land.

What starts it

Winter cooling.

Eggs

Average 3 eggs per clutch (range 2-8), about 36 x 21 mm; incubation about 103-110 days.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.

Common mistakes
  • Undersized tank and weak filtration
  • No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
  • Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouthern China and Indochina
Rivers and lakesMountain streams of southern China and Indochina
HabitatCool, rocky mountain streams
Native rangeAbout 1,200 km across
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The story of the big-headed turtle

A stream turtle from southern China and mainland Southeast Asia with a huge head it cannot pull into its shell. It climbs well over rocks and obstacles, and lives only in clean, unpolluted, cool, rocky streams.

John Edward Gray described the big-headed turtle in 1831. Its head is so large it cannot be pulled into its shell. It can climb using its tail and claws.

First described by John Edward Gray in 1831.

  • Its head is too big to retract into its shell.
  • It can climb rocks and trees.
  • It is the only living species in its family.

Sources

12 facts checked with sources