Cyclemys, commonly referred to as Asian leaf turtles, is a genus of freshwater turtles from the family Geoemydidae. The genus occurs throughout Southeast and South Asia and currently contains seven species.
Asian leaf turtles average at 25 centimetres (9.8 in) in length. They are mostly brown to greenish in color, with round to rectangular shells. Their carapace bears a superficial resemblance to plant leaves, hence their common name. They can be found around shallow, slow-moving bodies of water in hilly forests. Adults are primarily terrestrial, though juveniles are more aquatic.
Cyclemys turtles belong to the family Geoemydidae under the subfamily Geoemydinae. They were first described in 1834 by the English zoologist, Thomas Bell, in his work A Monograph of the Testudinata.Cyclemys and closely related genera (Cuora, Pyxidea, and Notochelys), are believed to have diverged from a common Heosemys-like ancestor.
Cyclemys taxonomy and phylogeny has been historically difficult to ascertain due to the morphological similarity between species, as well as changes in the color patterns during growth. Until recently it was thought that the genus comprised only one or two morphologically variable species,C. dentata and C. oldhamii. Subsequent investigation has now put the number of species under the genus to seven, though this remains controversial. The status of C. enigmatica as a valid species is contested, as is the recognition of C. atripons and C. pulchristiata, both of which are nearly impossible to tell apart morphologically.