About Pelomedusa galeata (Schoepff, 1792)
This species, Pelomedusa galeata, commonly called the cape terrapin, has adults that average 26 cm (10 in) in straight carapace length, with exceptional individuals reaching up to 32.5 cm (12.8 in).
The cape terrapin is distributed across all South African provinces, Eswatini, and southern Mozambique. It is not found in the Bushmanland bioregion of the Northern Cape.
Its habitat consists of fresh, stagnant water bodies, and it does not occur in mountainous or forested terrain.
For reproduction, cape terrapin mating takes place in spring. Nesting happens from late spring through autumn. Females lay up to 30 eggs inside an 18 by 9 cm (7.1 by 3.5 in) nesting chamber located close to water. Egg incubation lasts approximately three months.
