A couple of you responded to my previous post where I invited my blogger friends drop me a question on the subject of “turtles”..

So I shall now get back to those questions. But before I proceed, if you have people asking questions like, “Is it true that some turtles turn into ninjas when they’re exposed to radioactive toxics?” you know that he has been watching too much Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, like myself (when I was younger – my favourite was Michaelangelo!).

1. What are the differences between terrapins, tortoises and turtles?

The term “turtles” refers to all kinds of turtles in general, including the marine (or sea) turtles, the river terrapins and the tortoises.

Sea turtles are obviously those turtles that live in the sea, they can tolerate salinity and they perform breeding migrations, hence regional co-operation is very much needed when it comes to the conservation of the sea turtles – they may nest at different countries, e.g. they may come to Redang Island, to the Philippines, to Indonesia etc. Four of the world’s seven species of sea turtles come to nest on Malaysian beaches – the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) which is also the most common sea turtle, the hawskbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) which I think is the prettiest turtle, the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) which is the biggest species and is fast becoming extinct and the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) which is extremely rare and is also the smallest among the seven species.

The term “terrapin” refers to the riverine (or freshwater) turtles. There are 17 species of freshwater turtles in Malaysia, out of which 2 species can be found on KUSTEM campus ;)

The river terrapin (Batagur baska) lives in the river and lays eggs on riverbanks whereas the painted terrapin (Callagur borneoensis) lives in the river BUT lays eggs on marine beaches.

The tortoises, on the other hand, refers to the terrestrial turtles – turtles that you will find in forests, on hills etc. I have to admit that I am not so knowledgeable in the field hence am unable to provide further information.

2. What’s the maximum size and age that a terrapin can ever grow to and what can we do to ensure that happens?

I will leave the painted terrapin out of this context because I do not work on them. Limited information is available on both species of terrapins though.

The river terrapin may grow up to a maximum size of 60 cm in length. Usually the female terrapin is bigger than its male counterpart. The terrapin is considered “matured” once it reaches a length of about 45 cm.

We are not sure how old can a river terrapin grow, but the recent news that reported the death of the Galapagos tortoise at the age of 176 gives us an idea that the terrapins can easily grow up to 100 years old.

To ensure that the river terrapins do not become extinct, read this little write-up that I did not too long ago.

3. Can turtles/tortoises get back on their ‘feet’ or whatever you call it if they’re on their shell?

When a turtle has “turned turtle”, its ability to overturn itself depends largely on its size. A hatchling will have no problem overturning itself, but the bigger the turtle gets, the more difficult it is to overturn itself.

4. Can turtles survive solely on the land without going to the sea?

Like I mentioned earlier, only sea turtles live in the sea. Semi-aquatic turtles like the black marsh turtles need very little water, and the river terrapins are unable to tolerate the high salinity of the seawater – they will cease feeding and tend to urinate a lot. Terrestrial tortoises do NOT go into the sea (or the river) at all.

5. Are “guai lin gou”s nutritious for the body? Are we encouraged to eat them?

I am not aware of any scientific publications that document the nutritional values of the “guai lin gou” or the turtle jelly. Similarly, there is no scientific report that documents the nutritional values of the terrapin eggs. The jelly and the eggs were considered a delicacy by the Chinese and the locals, respectively.

However, we are NOT encouraged to consume the jelly or the eggs. For one, do you know how the jelly was obtained from the terrapin?! The plastron (the underside of the terrapin) is ground into the form of powder before it is processed! It is akin to chopping off the shark’s fin and and allow it to die in the sea!

6. What scares turtles (aka their predators) and do the turtles ever fight back (they don’t, right?)?

Because the turtles are generally big in size, it is only logical to assume that their predators are BIGGER than they are. However, we must not forget that the highest mortality occurs during the hatchling and juvenile stages. When they are small, anything bigger than them could swallow them without having to chew on them *yucks*

But for bigger turtles, e.g. nesting sea turtles and river terrapins, their predators could be the sharks and the crocodiles, respectively.

I have no idea how a turtle could ever fight, say, a shark or a crocodile. But the ancient creatures swim very quickly in the water – do not be fooled by their slow movement on land.

7. Are we allowed to eat turtle eggs except leatherback turtle’s eggs? Does it apply to the whole Malaysia or only in Terengganu? Coz in Melaka, all turtle eggs are not allowed.

This is quite a difficult question to answer – simply because the legislation governing the turtle is “messy” and is governed by the State.. First of all, yes, the collection and consumption of leatherback eggs have been banned (leatherbacks only nest in Terengganu and Pahang).

As for the other species of sea turtles (and river terrapins), the collection of turtle eggs has been banned only in nesting beaches that are gazetted. In other words, if a turtle lays eggs behind your house, and the area behind your house is not gazetted, you may collect the eggs. Apart from that, the sale of turtle eggs has NOT been banned. Though it is quite an irony that those people who sells turtle eggs in the market in Terengganu are NOT guilty.

It says sooo much about the State Government and how “our leaders” think..