Helmeted Turtle
Helmeted TurtleHelmeted TurtleHelmeted TurtleHelmeted Turtle

Helmeted Turtle

Pelomedusa subrufa

5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Serengeti National Park
19 Verified records at Serengeti National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The African helmeted turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa), also commonly known as the marsh terrapin, the crocodile turtle, or in the pet trade as the African side-necked turtle, is a species of omnivorous side-necked terrapin in the family Pelomedusidae. The species naturally occurs in fresh and stagnant water bodies throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa, and in southern Yemen. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Helmeted Turtle sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 19 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Serengeti National Park

Neumann's Marsh Terrapin

Neumann's Marsh Terrapin

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Pelomedusa neumanni

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
20–30
Apr
5–10
May
<5
Jun
5–10
Jul
5–10
Aug
5–10
Sep
5–10
Oct
5–10
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
30–40%
2 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
3 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
4 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
5 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
7 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
8 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
9 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
10 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
11 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
12 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
13 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
14 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
15 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
16 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
17 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
18 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
19 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
20 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
21 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
22 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
23 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
24 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Helmeted Turtle in Serengeti National Park?

About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Helmeted Turtle sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 19 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Helmeted Turtle in Serengeti National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Helmeted Turtle in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Serengeti National Park