The Philippine Pond Turtle (Heosemys leytensis), also known as the Leyte Pond Turtle, is an extremely rare turtle species from the Philippines. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (rhombozoans) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders  Crocodilia - Crocodilians scary crocodiles. ... Families See text Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudinata, most of whose body is shielded by a special bony shell developed from their ribs. ... Most modern turtles and tortoises belong to this group. ... Classification: Family Bataguridae Subfamily Batagurinae Genus Batagur Genus Callagur Genus Chinemys Genus Furculachelys Genus Geoclemys Genus Hardella Genus Hieremys Genus Kachuga Genus Morenia Genus Ocadia Subfamily Geoemydinae Genus Cuora Genus Cyclemys Genus Geoemyda Genus Malayemys Genus Heosemys Genus Mauremys Genus Melanochelys Genus Notochelys Genus Orlitia Genus Pyxidea Genus Rhinoclemmys Genus... Species Arakan Forest Turtle, Giant Asian Pond Turtle, Philippine Pond Turtle, Spiny Turtle, Heosemys is a genus of turtles in the family Bataguridae. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Edward Harrison Taylor (April 23, 1889 - 1972) was a U.S. herpetologist from Kansas. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Suborders Cryptodira Pleurodira See text for families. ...

Three specimens were obtained before 1920 from a shipment of mixed turtles said to originate from Leyte Island in the Philippines. Around 1988 a fourth specimen was found in the possession of a villager in Taytay municipality in eastern Palawan, who claimed to have collected it from a local stream. 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Leyte (pronounced LAY-teh or LAY-tee) is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Taytay is the name of two municipalities in the Philippines: Taytay, Palawan Taytay, Rizal This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. ...

The Philippine Pond Turtle is probably the world’s least-known and most enigmatic freshwater turtle species, it exerts great fascination for turtle hobbyists. Due to the inability to locate it in the wild, probable threats from habitat loss, and potential pressure from collectors, this turtle is listed as critically endangered. The endangered Sea Otter An endangered species is a population of organisms (frequently but not always a taxonomic species) which is either (a) so few in number or (b) threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters that it is at risk of becoming extinct. ...

The Philippines pond turtle has been found in some numbers in the northern part of the island of Palawan.

As late as 2004, a considerable number of these turtles (over 50) were to be found for sale in a Manila animal market, some of the buyers being overseas collectors. These animals had been collected from mud wallows in northern Palawan, and it is believed that they hide during the daylight hours. All of these animals were adult, both male and female - it is unknown if the collectors failed to find younger specimens, or found them less appealing for selling, or if youngsters were present.

Captive adults, provided a large outside pool with well planted islands and numerous underwater rock formations in Manila, proved to be very shy and retiring, spending considerable time hiding under rocks, both in and out of the water. They were omnivorous, favouring commercial turtle food, aquatic plants and they have been observed hunting small fish and crustaceans. They took some months to adjust to confinment.

They became active in the early morning and late evening, foraging for food, and moved about during the night. They were not observed to be keen on basking in the sun, but this may have been because they did not feel confident.

Additonally, many specimens (from Palawan) offered for sale had small holes bored in the carapace, indicating that some at least had been held captive as pets and tethered accordingly.

Local Palawan people are known to keep these animals in water troughs for domestic pigs, as these are supposed to bring luck for the household and the pigs, although it is not known if this luck is shared by the turtles.

In comparison the people of Samar and Leyte have a local belief that to touch any turtles will bring about loss of memory, and so they are not favoured as pets in these locations.

These beautiful creatures, shy and retiring, have a pronounced orange colour to their smooth carapace, and pink tinges to the head and forleg areas.

Altough some studies into their habitats have been commenced by several Philippines academic institutions, lack of funding has prevented full study, and they must be still considered endangered, especially from collecting, until further research had been carried out.

Some eighteen individuals have been donated to the Malabon Zoo north of Manila.

Recent legislation in the Philippines requires pet owners and traders to register their animals with the authorities, and pay for licences to keep the more "exotic" pets. It is hoped that this may prove to reduce the collection of various endangered species, including the Philippines Pond Turtle.as 2004