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Chinese Broad-headed Turtle

Mauremys megalocephala

Status: Endangered. Turtles in Asia have been overexploited in food markets, but their populations have been further decimated by habitat loss and disease.

In Chinese lore, there is a legendary creature called the Longgui, the Dragon-turtle, who has the head of a dragon and the body of a celestial tortoise. Statues of the Longgui usually show this symbol of protection and longevity on a bed of gold ingots and coins. As a turtle that is being transformed into a dragon higher being, it is also seen as an emblem of upward social movement and transformation towards prosperity.

Shan Hai Jin, an ancient Chinese bestiary, speaks of a lake wherein dwell many Longgui, and according to the Qing dynasty scholar Hao Yixing, a Longgui is actually a dragon with the body of a turtle.

 

References:
Strassberg, Richard. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas. University of California Press, 2002, plate XXIII.