Description
Cyclemys turtles are characterized by a more or less round carapace which is typically dark green, brownish, tan, or olive in color. The shell may have a prominent vertebral keel running from head to tail. Serrated marginal scutes are common in juveniles. In adults, only the posterior marginal scutes are serrated.
Adult Cyclemys also develop a joint in the middle of their plastron (known as a plastral hinge), enabling it to articulate the front and rear halves to some extent. Unlike the closely related Cuora which can completely close its shell because of the hinge, Cyclemys plastral hinges only close the shell partially. The plastral hinge may also play a significant role in facilitating egg-laying in adult females.
A distinguishing characteristic of the genus is the secondary division of the abdominal scutes (the middle pair of scutes in the plastron) due to the development of the plastral hinge as the turtle matures. It eventually leads to the formation of small triangular additional scutes between the abdominal and pectoral scutes.
Cyclemys turtles are cryptodires, having the ability to pull their heads straight back and vertically into their shells instead of folding it sideways like pleurodires. The head varies between species from dull to striped with bright red or orange bands of color. The plastron can have a dark or light (tan to yellow) background which can be uniform or patterned with fine lines radiating from the center of each plastral scute.
Feet are partially webbed and well developed for either aquatic or terrestrial mobility. They can grow to about 25 cm (9.8 in) in length.
Cyclemys achieve sexual maturity after 7 to 12 years, earlier for males and later for females. Sexual dimorphism is apparently mostly absent, though females are likely to outgrow males. Females usually deposit ten to fifteen eggs per clutch.
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