SEAVR 2019: 014‐015
ISSN: 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 11 January 2019
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

First record of Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) on
Catanduanes Island, Bicol peninsula, Philippines
Cyrus Job P. DELA CRUZ & John Ronel GIL
ccyrusjob.delacruz@bicol‐u.edu.ph (Dela Cruz), ejohnronelgil@yahoo.com (Gil)Observers: Kimberly D. Geromo, Lorenz Kurt Co Abrasaldo.
Photograph by: Kimberly D. Geromo.
Subject identified by: Cyrus Job P. Dela Cruz, Rafe M. Brown.
Location: Palnab Del Sur, Virac, Catanduanes Island, Bicol peninsula, Philippines (13°33’50.18” N 124° 13’ 10.36” E)
Elevation: 0 metres.
Habitat: Tidal river estuary, with sandy substrate.
Date and time: 23 November 2018, 07:30 hrs.
Identity of subject: Chinese Softshell Turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis (Reptilia: Testudines: Trionychidae).
Description of record: An adultChinese Softshell Turtle wasobserved walking in sandy,
intertidal habitat near Pajo River in
Palnab Del Sur, Virac,
Catanduanes. It wasphotographed in situ, and left inplace (Fig. 1). The turtle appearedto be in healthy condition.
Carapace length was notmeasured.
Remarks: The Chinese Softshell
Turtle, also known as Pawikang
luno in Tagalog, occurs widely inboth natural and artificial lakes
and ponds, reservoirs, flooded rice
fields, and irrigation ditches in thePhilippines (Diesmos et al. 2008).
This species is characterized byhaving (i) an oval shaped carapace,(ii) smooth margin, (iii) colourationof mixed green and brown withdetails of black spots on thecarapace, (iv) a head and neckwhich are long and slender, (iv)eyes that are almost on the top ofthe head, (v) a proboscis and (vi) a
black stripe starting from the eyes
(Auliya, 2007).

Fig. 1.

© Kimberly D. GeromoFritz et al (2010) identified different genetic lineages within Pelodiscus sinensis, which appears to be a species
complex, however confident identification of different lineages (or potentially other, closely‐related species) basedon colouration and patterning is difficult, thus we identify the turtle in this image as simply Pelodiscus sinensis.

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This is a non‐native species in the Philippines primarily introduced via commercial farming and meat source (Sy etal. 2004, Diesmos et al. 2008). It has previously been recorded on the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Cebu,Bohol, Leyte and Mindanao (Diesmos et al. 2008, Sy, 2014). Populations of Chinese Softshell Turtle in the Bicol
region have now been successfully established in the provinces of Albay (which lies 73.7 km southwest ofCatanduanes Island and is the nearest part of its known range), Camarines Sur (Diesmos et al. 2008), Camarines
Norte and Sorsogon (pers. obs.).
This documentation of Chinese Softshell Turtle provides a new distributional record on Catanduanes Island, and anew habitat type in an estuarine area.
A photographic voucher was submitted to the Zoological Reference Collection, Lee Kong Chian Natural History
Museum, National University of Singapore (ZRC (IMG) 2.393).
Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Dr. Rafe M. Brown for the verification of Pelodiscus sinensis.
Also, to Ms. Kimberly D. Geromo and Mr. Lorenz Kurt Co Abrasaldo for sharing the actual observations behind thisrecord. And lastly, to the group Catanduanes Biodiversity for their active involvement in the Protection andConservation of Catanduanes Island.
References:Sy, E. (2014). Geographical Distribution: Pelodiscus sinensis in South Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines.
Herpetological Review. 45(2): 280‐281.
Diesmos, A.C, Brown, R.M., Alcala, A.C., Sison, R.V. (2008). Status and Distribution of Nonmarine Turtles of thePhilippines. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 7(2): 157‐177.
Fritz, U., Gong, S., Auer, M., Kuchling, G., Schneeweiß, N. & Hundsdörfer, A. K. (2010). The world’s economicallymost important chelonians represent a diverse species complex (Testudines: Trionychidae: Pelodiscus). Organisms
Diversity & Evolution, 10(3), 227‐242.
Auliya, M. (2007). Gabay ng Pagkakakilanlan sa mga Pagong sa Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New
Guinea, Pilipinas, at Timor Leste. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petalling Jaya, Malaysia.
Sy, E., Farkas, B., and Buzas, B. (2004). The Chinese softshell turtle established in the Philippines?. Turtle andTortoise Newsletter. 7:17‐18.

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