Turtle Safari in Phrae

[Thetyim]

Last week I got word that a few of the rare turtles that live in Phrae were still there so I decided to go and have a look.

The secret location of the turtles, called Dtao Pulu in thai, is only 20 kms from my house so should be easy to find.
I checked with the forest police and they told me that is was a good road all the way.





This road travels east from Phrae and heads out towards the Laos border. It was built by the Japs during WW2, why they put so much effort into this road I will never know because it doesn't go anyway.

First obstacle is this bridge which collapsed during the May 2006 floods and has been repaired using the original WW2 jap iron army bridge.
You can see the 7 year ols concrete bridge laying on the riverbed below.
Please note the 7 sticks which are the central support and hold it all up.

[Thetyim]

The car interior went very quiet we all clasped our buddhas and over we go

[NickA]

^Christ, I'm a bit worried if he made it to the other side or not

[Thetyim]

About another 2 kms and the road isn't quite as good as I had been led to believe







After another klick it's hardly a road at all

[Thetyim]

We stop at a house to see what the locals do all day.
This is the bamboo shoot season, so this time of year they are busy making pickled bamboo shoots. Thats what is in the tins,

[Thetyim]

I would guess that he sells sesame seeds at other times because sesame was growing like weeds all over the roadside.

Take a look at his work surface.
That teak is about 5 inches thick.
No shortage of wood here

[Thetyim]

This area is quite remote but it is reassuring to know that if you break down you can always phone for help





Apparently it's been broke for years

[Thetyim]

This is a typical house for the area.
I like the contrast of old and new

[Thetyim]

There was shit loads of butterflies up there.

Can anyone identify this please ?

[Thetyim]

So we arrive at the village which still shows scars of the flooding in May 2006
Many houses were lost here

[NickA]

Phew, I see you made it to the other side

How far is it (average journey time in a car) from CM to Phrae?

[blackgang]

You do live in one of the best areas of this country.

[Thetyim]

We are directed to the pond where the last 6 remaining Dtao Pulu are kept

And sure enough there they are.




Did they say six ?
Sorry mate, make that five

[Thetyim]

CM to Phrae is 200 kms, so about 2.5 hours

[Thetyim]

Here you can see the claws that the turtle uses to climb trees
and the long tail which helps it keep balance when climbing but is a handicap for swimming

[buad hai]

Very cool. Thanks.

[Thetyim]

We stopped here for lunch.
Brought our own food of course because there are no MacDonalds here.

This house was empty so made a nice place to rest.
Must be quite high up as it was so cool up here.

[big_cloud]

Hi,
I knew about a waterfall next to Phrae, theres a bridge with iron frame and bamboo sticks as the driveway
but something gone wrong with the Pic
Sorry

[donmeurett]

Great Pictures Thanks for sharing your Great adventure with us.

Turtles climbing trees ?? Thats a new one on me.

don
Lam Luk Ka where turtles sun on the rocks and swim in the water i guess we do not have the right kind of climbing trees.

[Thetyim]

^^ probably the same bridge
It was replaced about 7 years ago with a concrete one but that was demolished in a flood and so the old WW2 one was moved back in

[Wayne Kerr]

Lovely stuff mate - do you know what the common English name is for them by any chance. I have a few reference texts here but buggered if I can find dtao pulu in them .

Wayne Jnr reckons they look like a cross between a turtle and gecko .

[Thetyim]

^
Platysternon megacephalum

"The tao pulu has several interesting features. Firstly, its head is so big it looks out of proportion. So big it couldn't draw its head inside the shell. To compensate, the tortoise is equipped with biting jaws which it uses as a defensive weapon. Its mouth snaps faster than any other tortoise.

The upper mandible curves down like a hawk's hooked beak. With its powerful jaws, it can snap ferociously at anything you put in front of it. So, when you feed the tortoise, it's better to put the food on one end of a stick than handing it the food with your fingers.

As for the tail, it is even longer than the length of the shell.

Another unique thing about this particular species is its climbing ability.
In nature, the tao pulu's climbing ability - which is attributed to its four strong, clawed legs and its tail which acts like a fifth limb to help in pushing - enables the animal to climb over rocks and other obstacles.

Occasionally, the tortoise even climbs trees in its search for a spot where it can bask in the sun without having to worry about predators. (Like other reptiles, the tao pulu needs the warmth of the sun to increase the efficiency of its food digestion.)"

[Lady Hawk]

Great pics Thetyim thats a mean looking turtle

[Wayne Kerr]

Thanks. Looks a lovely part of the world up there. Nice website for them here - Platysternon megacephalum field guide - Asian Turtle Conservation Network

[obsidian]

cool trip. thanks for the break from the rice fields.