Borneo in its range
Despite its scientific name, Orlitia borneensis is not confined to Borneo. Its restricted type locality is Sintang on the Kapuas River in Kalimantan, and the species also occurs elsewhere in Sundaland.
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Reptile Database · Orlitia borneensisA poorly known river turtle
The 2026 specialist account lists Critically Endangered, assessed in 2020. It describes lowland river and swamp-forest habitat, with mainly plant food. Wild ecology remains poorly studied, and exploitation for consumption is a documented concern.
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IUCN SSC TFTSG · Hughes et al. 2026 Malaysian Giant TurtleAn aquatic body and unfamiliar young
Webbed toes suit a highly aquatic life in large freshwater bodies. Males have longer, thicker tails than females. Hatchlings, about six centimetres long in the museum account, possess rough shells with strongly serrated rear margins. The account explicitly separates reported nesting in debris piles from nests personally observed by a researcher.
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Naturalis Biodiversity Center · Orlitia borneensis / Turtles of the WorldConservation breeding and unknown origins
European conservation collections contain turtles confiscated from the food trade, often without reliable origins. A 2012 genetic and shell-shape study found limited divergence among the sampled founders, supporting management as one conservation unit. This captive evidence helps breeding programmes; it does not measure genetic diversity or abundance throughout Borneo's wild river populations.
