Philippine pond turtle  (Siebenrockiella leytensis)

Known from just a few specimens, the Philippine pond turtle is one of the rarest and least known turtles in the world (4). One of its most distinctive features is the narrow yellow band that extends around the brown head, which also bears several small black markings and a small yellow spot on each side of the lower jaw (2) (5). The head is relatively large, with small white or pale greenish eyes (2), and a pointed, protruding snout (5). The neck is dark brown on top, with a lighter underside, and the limbs are similarly dark brown above and lighter below (2) (5). The toes are webbed, an adaptation to its aquatic lifestyle, and bear powerful claws (5). The oval shell of this turtle is brown to reddish-brown in colour and rather flat, while the shell on the underside is yellow-brown or reddish-brown (2) (5).