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Distribution
Pelusios castaneus has an enormous distribution range, following more or less the Atlantic coastline of western Africa. The range starts in Senegal and southern Mauritania, following the coast eastwards trough Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon. From Cameroon it is also found southwards trough Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and reaching the northern most parts of Angola. It is also found on the island of São Tomé, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Gabon.
Introduced populations of Pelusios castaneus exist on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Sea. The founders of this population were most probably taken there in the past by African slaves.
An introduced small population of Pelusios castaneus also appears to exist in Miami-Dade County, Florida in the USA. This population is said to be founded by specimens intended for the pet trade but were released by an animal dealer.
Habitat
Pelusios castaneus occupies shallow waters like swamps, marshes, streams, rivers, lakes, shallow ponds, lagoon banks and submerged shrub savannah as well as submerged forest floors. Some of these habitats may dry up during the dry season and the turtles are forced to estivate in the dried up mud or in the soil on shore.
Habitat of Pelusios castaneus near Kedougou, Senegal.
Habitat in Senegal during the humid season.
Habitat of Pelusios castaneus in Senegal. This is a dried up pool during the dry season.
A Pelusios castaneus was found wandering here, at VILAB II - an ex-Biomedical Institute of the New York Blood Center, located near the Robertsfield International Airport in Liberia.
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