Burmese Roofed Turtle Batagur trivittata

The Burmese Roofed Turtle, a freshwater terrapin endemic to Myanmar, was considered extinct until 2002. Following its rediscovery, there have been conservation breeding programmes from the less than 10 adult females found in the wild and a few releases from conservation hatching by 2018.

Related to the Painted Batagur, it is one of six Batagur species known. The young have three bold, black stripes on the carapace which fade as they age.

Adult males have a greeny-grey head with a bold, black stripe on the top from forehead to snout. The shell of the larger females can reach 2 ft (nearly 60cm) long.

They are always smiling! They remain critically endangered by habitat degradation, poison and dynamite fishing practices, egg collection (limited and known nesting sites), and collection of adults for consumption and illegal export trade.