Pelusios sinuatus
Silhouette: Day & Haghe · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% 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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Serrated Hinged Terrapin sighting in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 18 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Serrated Hinged Terrapin in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, April and September, the lowest months. That is one of uMkhuze Game Reserve's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 120 mm in February.
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.
5th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Serrated Hinged Terrapin sightings, uMkhuze Game Reserve ranks 5th at about 30%. The best odds are in Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 40%), 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 uMkhuze Game Reserve (19 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.
