Living Monument—Taedonggang Terrapin

Taedonggang terrapin lives in the basin of the Taedong River flowing through Honam-ri, Samsok District, Pyongyang.

The riverbed and its surroundings covered with sand and muddy sand are overgrown with weeds and rich in feed sources such as fish, earthworm, mud-snail, shell, etc.

The terrapin weighs about 1 kg, with its carapace 20 cm long in general.

Between early May and late August, it creeps up to the sandy riverside and digs a hole to lay 10 to 50 eggs there.

It takes six to seven years for a baby terrapin to attain full growth.

Its meat is tasty, and its carapace, bone and blood are widely used as Koryo medicine.

The DPRK designated the Taedonggang terrapin as a living monument and is protecting and propagating them.