Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle

Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is a reptile recorded for Vietnam in the project inventory. Its supporting occurrence note is “Expert range list”. The accepted scientific name is retained because regional taxonomy and species boundaries can change, while similar-looking taxa may require detailed morphology or genetic evidence for reliable separation. This profile therefore distinguishes the recorded identity and occurrence from broader biological context instead of inventing unsupported locality, size, diet or breeding details (project species data; Reptile Database taxonomy).

Pelochelys giant softshell turtles are highly aquatic turtles with broad, flattened bodies, flexible leathery shells and elongated snorkel-like snouts. They spend long periods buried in sand or mud, ambushing fishes, crustaceans and other aquatic prey, and leave the water mainly to nest. These are genus-level biological notes rather than observations from Vietnam, so exact body size, river habitat, prey and clutch measurements are not inferred for this record (general Pelochelys account; Reptile Database).