Pelusios sinuatus
Silhouette: Day & Haghe · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The serrated hinged terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus) is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is native to East Africa and Southern Africa. There are two recognised subspecies. P. sinuatus is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The preferred natural habitats of P. sinuatus are tropical lakes and rivers, where it can often be seen basking on logs, rocks, or mud banks, or even on the backs of sleeping hippopotami. P. sinuatus eats water snails, soft-weed, and insects.
The largest species in the genus Pelusios, P. sinuatus has a straight carapace length of up to 55 cm (22 in). Females are larger than males. Males can also be distinguished by their slightly longer tails. For defence, the hinged plastron of P. sinuatus closes to protect the head and forelimbs. The serrated hinged terrapin also secretes a foul odour when threatened.
The female serrated hinged terrapin lays seven to 25 eggs, up to 500 m (1,600 ft) from the nearest water... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
No species of the same family or order lives in Gonarezhou National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Serrated Hinged Terrapin sighting in Gonarezhou National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 13 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Serrated Hinged Terrapin in Gonarezhou National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July, the lowest month. That is one of Gonarezhou National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 150 mm in January.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Serrated Hinged Terrapin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Serrated Hinged Terrapin sightings, Gonarezhou National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 40%) and Liwonde National Park (Malawi, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Serrated Hinged Terrapin is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Gonarezhou National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
