July 06, 2021, 11:37 PM
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One lucky hiker in Singapore managed to spot a forest softshell turtle recently.
Shy individual
Aashif shared with Mothership that he stumbled across the squishy-looking creature in a forested area in Singapore.
He initially believed it to be a weird-looking leaf.
Upon closer inspection, he realised it was a turtle, roughly 30cm long.
The turtle, perhaps startled by Aashif's presence and attempting to avoid any eye contact and social interaction, had retracted its head into its shell.
According to NParks, the forest softshell turtle actually has a rather long neck, which unfortunately, is not visible in these pictures.
Photo courtesy of Aashif
A real mood.
Photo courtesy of Aashif
An elusive species
Aashif shared that it was his first time sighting the native species.
The forest softshell turtle, also known as a Malayan softshell turtle, is said to prefer habitats like clear, fast-flowing streams or the muddy backwaters of forests.
The species is described by NParks to be "elusive", and a scientific record reports that it was first spotted in Singapore in 1989.
Photo courtesy of Aashif
The distinctive patterning on its shell and body also help to camouflage it from predators.
Photo courtesy of Aashif
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Top photo courtesy of Aashif
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