The Malayan snail-eating turtle has the basic freshwater turtle characteristics to represent an animal model when it comes to developmental biology. Females grow to have prominently larger heads than males. Those with large heads and other particular functions are fitted to diets including predominantly molluscs.[citation needed]
Kitana, J., Kitana, N., & Pewphong, R. (2020). Chronology of Gonadal Development in the Malayan Snail-eating Turtle Malayemys macrocephala. Zoological Studies, 59(20).
Dawson, E.J., Ihlow, F., Ettmar, S., Paul van Dijk, P. (2018). Malayemys macrocephala (Gray 1859) – Malayan Snail-Eating Turtle, Rice-Field Terrapin. Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy. 10.3854/crm.5.108.macrocephala.v1.2018