Malayemys macrocephala
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English name: Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (aka “Rice-field Terrapin”)
Scientific name: Malayemys macrocephala (previously Malayemys subtrijuga)
Thai name: Tao Na
Description: Shell is up to 30cm long. Shell is brown with three distinct ridges, or “keels”, along the top. Edge and bottom of shell are yellowish. Head is black with white or yellow lines that curve around the eye on top and bottom.
Similar Species: The Southeast Asian Box Turtle has a domed shell, lacks the triple shell ridges, and has yellow head stripes that go straight across the head both above and into the eye rather than curving around it.
Black Marsh Turtle is all black, lacks the light stripes on the head, and only has one keel on top of its shell.
Red-eared Slider lacks the triple shell ridges and has a red spot behind its eye.
The Mekong Box Turtle is a very similar related species found in the Mekong River Basin. It can be identified by having at least 6 nasal stripes and an infraorbital stripe that goes well past the loreal seam
Habitat: This turtle is found in slow-moving bodies of water with muddy bottoms and lots of vegetation, such as marshes, swamps, rice paddies, and irrigation canals. In Bangkok it is most often found in the slow-moving canals of city parks, but I have also found it in the ponds of undeveloped areas.
Place it the ecosystem: The Malayan Snail-eating Turtle eats snails almost exclusively. On occasion it will also eat mussels, crabs, shrimp, and insects. It is preyed upon by monitors, and the young can be preyed on by large fish, snakes, wading birds, and crows.
Danger to humans: There is a small risk of salmonella contamination if the feces of the turtle reach the mouth of a young child (most often occurs from handling pet turtles). To be safe it is recommended that you wash your hands after handling any turtle. Otherwise these turtles are completely harmless.
Conservation status and threats: The Malayan Snail-eating Turtle is subject to habitat destruction in its native river valleys and is under pressure from collection for food markets and Chinese medicine. It is also collected in smaller numbers for the pet trade and for “merit release”. Habitat deterioration, pesticides, and fishing nets may also affect populations. While it is still common in Thailand, it is becoming rare in neighboring counties and outside of Thailand it has been assessed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is also listed in CITES Appendix II.
Interesting facts: The Malayan Snail-eating Turtle has a large head and strong jaws, which enables it to crush the shells of snails. Due to its unusual diet, among other factors, the Malayan Snail-eating Turtle tends to do poorly in captivity and does not make a good pet.
The Malayan Snail-eating Turtle is probably the Thai turtle species most often used in the practice of “merit release”, where turtles and other animals are released into nature in order to “make merit”. Sadly, many such turtles are released into inappropriate or overcrowded habitats (such as decorative park and temple ponds) and end up dying after a long period of starvation or overcompetition. Other released turtles spread diseases that they caught in captivity into wild populations, thereby killing many more turtles. More information on turtle release and merit-making can be found at the Buddhist Merit-making Turtle Release Checklist.
References:
IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group: Malayemys macrocephala
Wikipedia: Malayemys macrocephala
The Reptile Database: Malayemys macrocephala
Geographic Variation and Systematics in the South-East Asian Turtles of the Genus Malayemys
Buddhist Merit-making Turtle Release Checklist
A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-East Asia
The Turtles of Thailand
Turtles of the World
Reptiles and Amphibians of Thailand 
Where is the best place to see this turtle in the wild (Bangkok, Thailand)? I mean the Malayan Snail Eating Turtle (Malayemys macrocephala (previously Malayemys subtrijuga)?
If you read this post: https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/ram-2-night-walks/
You’ll see me mention finding a bunch of them at a park off of “Ram 2”, by which I meant the Ramkhamhaeng 2 road. It’s been a long time but I believe the park in question is called “”Chaloem Phrakiat Mahat Thai Park” on Google Maps, just a few hundred meters northwest of Ramkhamhaeng University Bang Na Campus. You can see there are a couple other park lakes in the vicinity as well. They are usually nocturnal, the time I went it was early evening (8pm).
They’re a common enough species that if you frequent the parks with lakes at night you should find them sooner or later even if you’re not specifically targeting them.
This year 2021 I didn’t see as many as in 2019 and 2020 (around Nakhon Nayok, Thailand). Only rests of some in the road because cars destroy them merciless. Car drivers seem to have a culture of not even slightly trying to avoid crushing them cuz over afraid of causing an accident. I guess that other factors are diminishing their numbers.
Unfortunately, turtles are slow to grow and reach maturity, as a result any sort of increase in deaths can really hurt their population. Being caught for food, collected for pets or temple release, and hit by cars are all very damaging.
How many months or years can this turtle go without food?
That’s an interesting question. It depends a ton on many factors, but a well-fed turtle can sometimes survive several months without food. In nature they must go without food for long periods during seasons of extreme cold or heat or drought. However, turtles usually eat every 2-3 days and I would never recommend letting a pet turtle going without food for more than 3-4 weeks maximum as unknown health problems or previous malnutrition could lead any particular turtle to die much quicker.
Hi, my 1.5inch Malayan snail eating turtle ( Robbie) just disappeared from the pot of water plants I sometimes put him in. He first came to us a week ago when we found him on the steps in the garden and figured a bird must have dropped him as he seemed too little to have come by himself. We wanted to put him back in the lake surrounding our house but was afraid he might be eaten so kept him in a basin for a while. Found out he liked to dive and dig in the mud when I put him the water flower pot. He looked so happy there I never thought he would actually climb out and run away. But that is what he probably did. Today I left him there for about an hour and he couldn’t be found in the pot when I came to retrieve him. Because he is so little, I am afraid he may not get to a water source and may die out in the garden on his own. Do you know if these turtles can survive without being near a water source? We did manage to feed him on bits of water convolvulus before his great escape…
Lin
Today we were visiting a temple named Wat Chong Khae in Nakhon Sawan near Takhli. There was a place on the temple ground where a few young men were selling different fish (like gourami fish in an overcrowded jar with way too little water, some eel like fish) and fresh water turtles. One turtle was around 10-15 cm long and was held captive in a jar where he could not move. It just fitted from tail to nose. It was a horrible sight. It had a price of 80 THB so I bought it and released it at a river bank, close to that location. I suspect that it was caught there. After paying for the turtle, the trader ‘packed’ it in a plastic bag where it could choke. I immediately took it out as soon as we had left the place and poored fresh water from a bottle to keep it wet. It came alive instantly.
The turtle seemed ‘suprised’ about it’s freedom once I released it at the edge of the water at the river bank. It looked at us for a few seconds before it swam away and dived into the deep.
I believe it was a malayan snail eating turtle, because of the double yellow stripes on the side of the head. It felt good to release it, and I’m totally shocked that traders like this can do their ‘business’ on a temple’s ground.
Wish I had more time and opportunity to do something about this cruel activities involving endangered and rare species of beautiful animals.
We made a video of the release in case someone is interested.
It is nice for that turtle, but unfortunately he will use the profits to acquire even more turtles and sell them, so in the long run buying them makes it even worse.
It is unlikely the turtle was caught there, but possible.