Although not brightly colored, big-headed turtles were popular with hobbyists.
The chelonian family Platysternidae is represented by a single southeast Asian aquatic turtle species. This is the Big-headed turtle, Platysternon megacephalum. This species is distributed in one or the other of its 3 valid subspecies (megacephalum, shiui, and peguense), in southern China (including Hainan Island), southwest through northern Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, and northern Thailand to southern Burma where although it is a weak swimmer it dwells in cool rocky mountain brooks and streams easily climbing up and over submerged and streamedge rocks and logs on its strongly clawed legs.

This is a dusky colored turtle dorsally and yellowish ventrally. Juveniles have a horizontal black edged yellow stripe on each side of the face posterior to the eyes. The jaws and snout may be peach colored. Overall it blends well with the stream bottoms and muddy edges that it calls home.

This medium sized but rather flat turtle attains a shell length of about 7 inches. The carapace of the adults is weakly serrate on the sides and rear. The carapace of a juveniles is more strongly serrated especially on the rear of the carapace. The extremely long tail is nearly as long as the shell and may be curled upwards or to either side. Whether when curled the tail may assist in anchoring the turtle in current seems as yet an ongoing question. The head of this aptly named turtle is huge in all aspects—length, width, and height--- and cannot be withdrawn into the protection of the shell. The skull is enlarged and bony and provides a great amount of protection. The eyes are directed forward. The jaws are strong, the beak is sharp, and the turtle is not at all hesitant to bite. Food includes fish, gastropods, molluscs, aquatic insects, and worms.

This turtle is seldom bred in captivity and its reproductive habits in the wild are not well known. Clutches reportedly consist of 2 eggs and the species is not known to multiclutch.

In bygone years this species was rather readily available in the pet trade.It is now only occasionally so and when available high prices are asked. It is apparently often seen in food shops in the orient and is readily eaten by humans.