Chinese Softshell Turtle (Chinese Softshell Turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis).
I know these turtles are around, though perhaps in small numbers: both in the brackish waters of the nearby lakes and in the Xiang (湘江), as I spotted some remains washed up on the riverside when the water was low last winter. But they come out into the open, and this is the first time I have ever seen one basking in the sun! It was near the lily pond at Xianjia Lake (咸嘉湖) where it seemed very happy and did not seem to mind my approach.
