---
title: "Cape Terrapin"
description: "Pelomedusa galeata — Gady. Pelomedusa galeata, commonly known as the South African helmeted terrapin and the cape terrapin, is a species of side-necked terrapin in the family Pelomedusidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/cape-terrapin
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Cape Terrapin

> Pelomedusa galeata — Gady. Pelomedusa galeata, commonly known as the South African helmeted terrapin and the cape terrapin, is a species of side-necked terrapin in the family Pelomedusidae.

- Scientific name: *Pelomedusa galeata*
- Category: `reptiles` (Gady)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Jeziora i rzeki)
- iNaturalist observations: 1848
- Wikidata: [Q23041484](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23041484)
- iNaturalist taxon: [560427](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/560427)

## Names

- en: Cape Terrapin
- de: Schwarze Starrbrust-Pelomedusenschildkröte

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (1693), SZ (3)

## Summary

Pelomedusa galeata, commonly known as the South African helmeted terrapin and the cape terrapin, is a species of side-necked terrapin in the family Pelomedusidae. It is endemic to South Africa, Eswatini and southern Mozambique.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelomedusa_galeata

## Photo

![Cape Terrapin](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/cape-terrapin/medium.jpg)

Photo: Tim Kirsten · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/145494795

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/cape-terrapin?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).