Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
February 20th, 2026.
 
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Genus
Platysternon
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Big-headed Turtles
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Grosskopfschildkröten
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Storhovedskildpadder
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1831 |  |
Platysternon Gray (type species: Platysternon megacephalum Gray 1831) |
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1846 | |
Platysternum Agassiz [substitute name] (syn. Fritz & Havas 2006) |
Contents:
3 species, of which 1 (33.3%) is endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Distribution:
Cambodia,
China
(Anhui,
Chongqing,
Fujian,
Guangdong,
Guangxi,
Guizhou,
Hainan,
Hong Kong,
Hunan,
Jiangsu,
Jiangxi,
Sichuan,
Yunnan,
Zhejiang),
Laos,
Myanmar,
Thailand,
Vietnam.
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Platysternon baiseense
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Baise Big-headed Turtle
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Baise-Großkopfschildkröte
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Baise-storhovedskildpadde
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2025 | |
Platysternon baiseensis Liang, Li, Ge, Ou, Yin, Suwannapoom, Le, Nguyen, Fritz & Gong |
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Platysternon baiseense Midtgaard 2026 [justified emendation] (this work) |
Remarks:
Since Platysternon is grammatical neuter, the specific epithet is corrected to baiseense to comply with Latin grammar.
Distribution:
China
(Guangxi).
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Platysternon megacephalum
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Eastern Big-headed Turtle, Big-headed Terrapin, Yingzugui, (Chinese Big-headed Turtle)
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Östliche Großkopfschildkröte
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Østlig Storhovedskildpadde
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1831 | |
Platysternon megacephalum Gray |
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Emys megacephala Schlegel 1838 |
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1987 | |
Platysternon megacephalum shiui Ernst & McCord (syn. Liang, Li, Ge, Ou, Yin, Suwannapoom, Le, Nguyen, Fritz & Gong 2025) |
Other common names:
shiui: Vietnamese Big-headed Turtle
Remarks:
Previously included peguense as well as the population now assigned to baiseense (Liang, Li, Ge, Ou, Yin, Suwannapoom, Le, Nguyen, Fritz & Gong 2025).
Introduced to:
Singapore,
Taiwan.
Distribution:
China
(Anhui,
Chongqing,
Fujian,
Guangdong,
Guangxi,
Guizhou,
Hainan,
Hong Kong,
Hunan,
Jiangsu,
Jiangxi,
Sichuan,
Zhejiang),
Vietnam.
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Platysternon peguense
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Burmese Big-headed Turtle
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Burmesische Großkopfschildkröte
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Burmesisk Storhovedskildpadde
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1870 | |
Platysternon peguense Gray |
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Platysternon megacephalum peguense Wermuth 1960 |
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1969 | |
Platysternon megacephalum vogeli Wermuth (syn. Liang, Li, Ge, Ou, Yin, Suwannapoom, Le, Nguyen, Fritz & Gong 2025) |
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1984 | |
Platysternon megacephalum tristernalis Schleich & Gruber (syn. Liang, Li, Ge, Ou, Yin, Suwannapoom, Le, Nguyen, Fritz & Gong 2025) |
Other common names:
tristernalis: Yunnan Big-headed Turtle
vogeli: Thai Big-headed Turtle
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a subspecies of megacephalum (e.g., Rhodin, Iverson, Fritz, Gallego-Garcia, Georges, Shaffer & Dijk 2025).
Revalidated as a separate species by Liang, Li, Ge, Ou, Yin, Suwannapoom, Le, Nguyen, Fritz & Gong (2025).
Distribution:
Cambodia,
China
(Yunnan),
Laos,
Myanmar,
Thailand,
Vietnam.
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Platysternon peguense
© Henrik Bringsøe
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