Orlitia borneensis Gray, 1873

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 248

Orlitia borneensis Gray, 1873 — Non-native; Introduced.

Malayan Giant Terrapin

Singapore records.

Orlitia borneensis —T.H. Ng & K.K. Lim, 2010: 123 (Lower Peirce Reservoir; MacRitchie Reservoir; Upper Seletar Reservoir).—D.C.J. Yeo & C.S.W. Chia, 2010: 35.—M.A.H. Chua, 2014a: 45 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Lower Peirce Reservoir; MacRitchie Reservoir; Upper Seletar Reservoir).— I.S. Law, Sankar & I.T. Law, 2014: 274 (Lower Peirce Reservoir; MacRitchie Reservoir; Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Botanic Gardens; Upper Seletar Reservoir).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 6, 7 (Night Safari; Singapore Zoo).—H.H. Tan, 2015: 99 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens).—W.L.J. Teo, 2022: 1 (Sime Road Forest).

“ Orlitia ” —P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 480.

Remarks. Orlitia borneensis is the largest freshwater turtle in S.E. Asia and is native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo (TTWG 2021). Given its requirement for large rivers, O. borneensis cannot be native to Singapore since Singapore never had large rivers. As O. borneensis is trafficked for food, individuals were likely obtained as pets and subsequently released. Orlitia borneensis has been observed at LR, MR, Night Safari, SBG, Singapore Zoo, USR, and even NSSF (Ng & Lim 2010; Chua 2014a; Law et al. 2014; S. Subaraj 2015; Teo, 2022).

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Central Catchment: ZRC.2.4731 (1993).

Additional Singapore museum specimens. No specimens.