Spiny Turtle (Cogwheel Turtle, Spiny Hill Turtle)
Heosemys spinosa (no subspecies recognized)
Gestekelde aardschildpad (Heosemys spinosa)
Tenasserim through peninsular Thailand and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra,
Borneo, and various small Indonesian Islands.
Shallow, clear rainforest streams at altitudes from 170 m up to 100 m where
it frequently wanders about on land in cool, humid, shaded areas. It often
hides under plant debris or clumps of grass. Young may be more terrestrial
From 175 mm to 220 mm in carapace length and 1.5 kg to 2.0 kg mass.
Robert S. Simmons
Large adults are spineless. Males have longer, thicker tails than females and
Care in Captivity:
Indoors - Adults should be housed in large (852 liter) stock water
tanks (178 cm X 61 cm X 61 cm high) divided into land and water areas. The
water area should be at least half of the total area and maintained at a
depth of 6 to 10 cm. The land substrate should consist of a 5 cm layer of
river gravel (6-8 mm size) with a topsoil layer consisting of peat moss and
long fiber peat moss (Sphagnum sp.) at a depth of 15-25 cm for
nesting. Neonates and juveniles should be maintained in similar, but smaller,
enclosures as the adults. A rain cycle of once to twice weekly, provided by
sprinklers, will provide the necessary humidity needed by the turtles.
Outdoors - These turtles do quite well in large outdoor pens planted
with shrubs and a large, shallow pool of clean, cool water. Indoor heated
facilities are necessary during the cooler months. These turtles are very
similar to North American wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta) in habitat
Temperature and Lighting:
Spot lights (150 W) should be used to provide basking areas and ambient
temperatures should be maintained between 27 and 30° C. A photoperiod of 12
hours daylight and 12 hours night should be provided.
Spiny turtles are mostly herbivorous by nature, although they will sometimes
eat meat in captivity. It is best to feed them salads consisting of fruits
(especially tomatoes), vegetables, and collard greens two to three times per
week. Chopped skinned mice or mouse pinkies may be fed to adults biweekly,
but refrain from feeding meat to neonates and juveniles. Most neonates and
juveniles prefer tomatoes over any other food items and tomatoes may be the
best choice for getting finicky eaters to feed regularly. Vitamin supplements
are not usually necessary if a mixed salad is offered. A calcium/phosphate
supplement may be given to neonates and juveniles and a good diet should
include Turtle Brittleâ to provide Vitamin D3.
Copulation, in captivity, has been observed in December and February. Mating
behavior is often triggered by spraying water on the adults with a garden
hose. The male becomes excited during this "rain" event and chases
the female into the water for mating. Nest digging behavior is unknown in the
wild, but generally one or two eggs may be deposited by the female in a nest.
Females may produce up to three clutches per year; a common occurrence for
batagurine turtles. The only successful reproduction of the spiny turtle in
captivity occurred at Zoo Atlanta in 1991. The incubation period was 106
days. The egg was incubated in a medium of damp sand, peat moss, and long
fiber peat moss at a temperature of 28-30° C for 35 days and at a temperature
of 26-28° C for the remainder of the time. Some batagurine turtle eggs
undergo a diapause phase that may correspond to the wet/dry seasons and it
may be necessary to fluctuate incubation temperatures.
Spiny turtles are susceptible to the same general diseases common to other
emydid chelonians. Care should be taken to provide UV radiation to arrest the
growth of fungal and bacterial cultures that may cause shell rot disease. It
is imperative that clean water is provided at all times. A filtration system
complete with UV sterilizers is recommended.
Ernst, C.H. and R. W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian
Herman, D.W. 1993. Reproduction and management of the Southeast Asian spiny
turtle (Heosemys spinosa) in captivity. Herpetol. Natur. Hist. 1(1):
Pritchard, P.C. H. 1979. Encyclopedia of Turtles. Neptune: T.F.H. Publ., Inc.
Dennis W. Herman
Coordinator of Living Collections
N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
11 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1029
7 August 2000