A big-headed turtle was rescued after it was crushed by a passing car in northern Thailand.

The brown creature with a broken shell was found struggling to move by residents across a mountain road in Chiang Mai province on September 5.

It was believed to have been run over by a passing vehicle whose driver left it to die until resident Chaiyanat Kawiplook discovered the creature.

Chaiyanat said: ‘At first I thought it was only rock but when I walked over for a closer look I realised that it was a turtle that had been crushed by a car.

‘The animal was still moving so I took it back to our village where some of my neighbours informed me that it was a big-headed turtle.’

The creature was taken to the remote village where it was nursed back to health before villagers released it back to the wild.

The kind rescuer added: ‘The crack on its shell did not affect its muscles which is why I think it gained its strength faster. It was moving perfectly normal after a few days despite its damaged shell.’

The big-headed turtle is a freshwater reptile with distinct features such as a large head, long carapace, hooked beak, very strong feet, and sharp nails.

It has a whip-like tail that is as long as its body but unlike other turtles, the big-headed turtle cannot shrink their heads and legs into their shell.

Thai laws classify this turtle as a protected species but the non-government organisation International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists it as a threatened species.