Helmeted Turtle
Helmeted TurtleHelmeted TurtleHelmeted TurtleHelmeted Turtle

Helmeted Turtle

Pelomedusa subrufa

Silhouette: Day & Haghe · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Ankarafantsika National Park
1 Verified sightings at Ankarafantsika National Park From 2019 to 2026
186 Verified sightings across all 24 parks From 2019 to 2026
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Helmeted Turtle

The African helmeted turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa), also commonly known as the marsh terrapin, the crocodile turtle, or in the pet trade as the African side-necked turtle, is a species of omnivorous side-necked terrapin in the family Pelomedusidae. The species naturally occurs in fresh and stagnant water bodies throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa, and in southern Yemen.

The marsh terrapin is typically a rather small turtle, with most individuals being less than 20 cm (7.9 in) ranging from 15 to 21 centimeters in straight carapace length, but one has been recorded with a length of 32.5 cm (12.8 in). It has a black or brown carapace. The top of the tail and feet are a grayish brown, while the underside (plastron) is yellowish.

The male turtle is distinguished by its long, thick tail. A female tends to have a shorter tail and a broader carapace. A hatchling has a shell size of about 3 cm (1.2 in) in length, and is olive to black in color. It also has two small tubercles under the chin and musk glands in the sides of the carapace.

Uniquely, the genus Pelomedusa does not have a hinged plastron (lower shell). All the other species in the family Pelomedusidae, however, do... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~40%
2 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
3 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
4 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
5 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
7 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
8 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
9 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
10 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
11 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
12 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
13 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
14 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
15 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
16 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
17 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
18 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
19 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
20 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
21 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
22 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
23 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
24 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
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