Pelomedusa galeata
Silhouette: Day & Haghe · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pelomedusa galeata, commonly known as the South African helmeted terrapin and the cape terrapin, is a species of side-necked terrapin in the family Pelomedusidae. It is endemic to South Africa, Eswatini and southern Mozambique.
The cape terrapin is found in all South African provinces, Eswatini and southern Mozambique. It is absent from the Bushmanland bioregion in the Northern Cape. Adults average 26 cm (10 in) in straight carapace length; and up to 32.5 cm (12.8 in) in exceptional cases.
The cape terrapin is found in fresh and stagnant water bodies, but not in mountainous or forested terrain. Mating of the cape terrapin occurs during spring. Nesting occurs from late spring to autumn. Up to 30 eggs are laid in an 18 by 9 cm (7.1 by 3.5 in) chamber close to the water. Incubation is roughly three months.
As of 2017, the cape terrapin has been assessed as least concern due to its widespread occurrence. The population group in western South Africa could be a candidate species. Media related to Pelomedusa galeata at Wikimedia Commons Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Espace zoologique de Saint-Martin-la-Plaine | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | East London Aquarium | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Table Mountain National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Terrapin sighting in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 41 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April–May, July–September and November–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Terrapin in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, June and October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cape 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.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Cape Terrapin sightings, Table Mountain National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 70%), Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 40%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cape Terrapin is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Table Mountain National Park (43 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.
