Black Marsh Turtle

About the Black Marsh Turtle

Siebenrockiella crassicollis (commonly known as black marsh turtle, smiling terrapin, and Siamese temple turtle, among others) is a freshwater turtle endemic to Southeast Asia. It is one of two species classified under the genus Siebenrockiella in the family Geoemydidae.

Black marsh turtles are small to medium-sized turtles that are almost completely black except for white to yellow markings on the head. They are largely aquatic and prefer slow-moving or still bodies of water with heavy vegetation. Black marsh turtles are also commonly kept as pets and as sacred animals in Southeast Asian Buddhist temples.

They are classified as endangered by the IUCN, being one of the several Southeast Asian turtle species heavily exploited for the international wildlife trade, particularly for food and traditional medicine in the Chinese markets.

Formerly under the genus Emys, black marsh turtles are now classified under Siebenrockiella. They were first described by the British zoologist John Edward Gray from three specimens from the collections of Thomas Bell. Black marsh turtles used to be monotypic within the genus Siebenrockiella until Diesmos et al. (2005) showed... Wikipedia →