Cantor’s Tortoise: A Giant That Spends Much of Its Time Immobile

In the heart of the fresh waters of South and Southeast Asia, resides a creature as impressive as it is discreet. A giant turtle that looks like a prehistoric monster, but is very real. The Cantor's tortoise, also known as the giant soft-shelled tortoise, is an expert at remaining still.

However, appearances are deceiving. This turtle is one of the most formidable predators of these fresh waters. Far from being lazy, she simply waits until prey passes under her nose.

This turtle lives in the fresh waters of South and Southeast Asia

The Cantor turtle which was named after the Danish zoologist Theodore Edward Cantor lives under mud or sand in shallow rivers. It is found only in the fresh waters of South and Southeast Asia.

It is native to India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In addition to being giant, Cantor's tortoises have the particularity of spending 95% of their lives completely immobile. Only their eyes and snorkel-shaped nose protrude from the sand or mud where they are buried.

The Cantor's tortoise attacks its prey with lightning speed

These creatures appear to be particularly slow, but they can be very fast. Indeed, they move at lightning speed to catch their prey. Their diet consists of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, frogs, birds, small mammals and even small insects.

As soon as they spot prey, giant tortoises very quickly extend their necks to deliver the killing blow. They use their long claws and powerful jaws to strike and crush the bones of their victims.

Additionally, unlike their hard-shelled cousins, these turtles have a soft shell covered in thick leather. This is flat green or brown in color. Experts believe that they can thus extract oxygen from the water through their skin. This allows them to stay underwater for long periods of time.

A freshwater giant that can weigh more than 100 kilograms

However, the Cantor's tortoise cannot breathe only this way. She must therefore come to the surface to breathe air twice a day. In fact, it is also nicknamed “frog-faced soft-shelled turtle” because its facial features resemble those of a frog.

These freshwater giants can measure up to 100 centimeters long and weigh more than 100 kilograms. These are extremely rare endangered turtles. To give you an idea, only one specimen was found between 1985 and 1995.

There is hope, however, for the future of Cantor's giant tortoise. A nesting site of this species was discovered in 2024 by biologists on the banks of the Chandragiri River in Kerala, India.

Source: LiveScience