Comments on: Rare Giant Turtle Found

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Sun, 20 May 2007 09:46:38 +0000

Bob Michaels- Again, thanks for the info!

By: Bob Michaels

Bob Michaels — Sat, 19 May 2007 17:38:50 +0000

Mystery Man, a new expedition is planned for June 2007, they hope to find additional new species in this pristine area of Cambodia.

By: Bob Michaels

Bob Michaels — Sat, 19 May 2007 03:18:50 +0000

Mystery Man there is a dry specimen turtle in a temple on one of the two islands in the lake. The turtle died in the 1960s and was said to weigh 550 lbs, measured 5 ft in length, but since it was dry specimen it must have shrunk and should in a living specimen be a little larger.

Breed the turtle and save it from extinction.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Sat, 19 May 2007 00:35:16 +0000

Bob Micheals- Interesting. I have read up on it a little and it does seem that no one knows for sure how many there are. Some think there are three, some think there are five. Proffesor Duc, who I mentioned, thinks there is only one, which can be identified by the white spot on its head and the leftward tilt as it swims. It doesn’t seem to be determined what exact species it is, or if it is a new species or not. Proffesor Duc seems to think it is a different species although similar to other species found in other parts of Vietnam. Very intrigueing mystery especially considering this lake is in a major urban area. This is one creature I hadn’t known much about, so your comments have urged me to look into it. Thank you very much for your fascinating input!

By: Gary the Cat

Gary the Cat — Fri, 18 May 2007 22:20:35 +0000

Oh come on-it’s clearly a dead whale!

(Sorry-couldn’t resist it, given the other ‘Turtle’ thread!).

By: Bob Michaels

Bob Michaels — Fri, 18 May 2007 19:08:10 +0000

It’s still uncertain where the Hoan Kiem turtles originated, they may have migrated from the red River when it was still connected to the lake 400 yrs ago.

By: Bob Michaels

Bob Michaels — Fri, 18 May 2007 19:01:51 +0000

Mystery Man, it is unclear how many Hoan Kiem
live in the lake. recent estimates between one & three.Once seen on an average of four times a year, increased attention has brought sightings to around thirty annually.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:26:10 +0000

Here is a link to an interesting article I found on the Hoan Kiem turtle.

http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/news_articles/The_legend_of_the_Hoan_Kiem_Turtle.html

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:15:55 +0000

I found where I heard this, it was from a proffesor Ha Dinh Duc, who is apparently one of the foremost experts on the biology of the lake. He believes that there is only one of the giant turtles remaining in the lake at present and that it could be the last of its kind.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:07:43 +0000

I could be mistaken but I thought there was only one specimen surviving in Hoan Kiem Lake and that there are some that think it is possibly the last of its kind. From what I understand, it is sort of a cryptid in its own right and rarely seen. I wasn’t aware that there are supposedly more in the lake or that its species had been determined.