Heosemys annandalii (Boulenger, 1903)

Nguyen, Tan Van, Brakels, Peter, Maury, Nathanael, Sudavanh, Somchit, Pawangkhanant, Parinya, Idiiatullina, Sabira, Lorphengsy, Sengvilay, Inkhavilay, Khamla, Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon & Poyarkov, Nikolay A., 2020, New herpetofaunal observations from Laos based on photo records, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 248) 14 (2), pp. 218-249 : 243

Heosemys annandalii (Boulenger, 1903) Yellow-headed Temple Turtle ( Fig. 12C)

Eight individuals of H. annandalii were observed by P. Brakels on 1 July 2019 in Champhone District site 2, Savannakhet Province (elevation 150 m asl), and in August 2018 and March 2019 in captivity in villages in Pathoumphone District , Champasak Province (all turtles were captured in and around the Beung Kiat Ngong Ramsar site wetland) .

Morphological characters of the individuals from Savannakhet and Champasak provinces agreed well with the descriptions of Hendrie et al. (2011), Chan-ard et al. (2015), and Vasillieva et al. (2016). The photographed individual ( Fig. 12C) agrees with the diagnosis of H. annandalii in the following characters: large size; head small and smooth, with enlarged scales on forehead and pointed snout; upper beak sharply dentate; carapace elongate, flattened above, without vertebral keel, serrated posteriorly; plastron with distinct anal notch. Surface carapace uniformly dark black; head gray with yellow speckling; surface plastron and bridge are yellow with large black blotches on each scute.

Ecological notes. Six individuals were found in the shallow muddy part of an oxbow scavenging for fallen fruits. Two large individuals, carapace length> 50 cm, were observed crossing the trail in the forest near the oxbow. The surrounding habitat consisted of riparian and deciduous forest along the river.

Distribution. In Laos, this species has been recorded from Vientiane, Khammouan, and Attapu provinces ( Rhodin et al. 2017). These are the first records from Savannakhet and Champasak provinces. Elsewhere, this species has been reported from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia ( Rhodin et al. 2017).