An adaptable species that occurs in all types of wetlands, most often along coastlines. The species is known from shallow, fresh, brackish, or saline waters, including temporarily flooded areas, coastal lagoons, rivers, saline and freshwater lakes, beaches, mangroves and mangrove-lined mudflats, freshwater swamps, and even exposed reefs and at sea (Callaghan and Green 1993, Trainor 2005, Indrawan et al. 2006, Carboneras et al. 2020). The species has also adapted to human modified habitats, being found in densely populated areas, in fishponds, rice fields, and other human modified aquatic habitats (Callaghan and Green 1993. Wibowo et al. 2022). Little is known about its feeding and breeding habits, but presence is supposedly positively correlated with gastropod and crustacean abundance (Wibowo et al. 2022).

Occurs in Indonesia, from southern Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas, and Timor Leste; also occurs in southern and eastern Kalimantan, north along the coast into Sabah, Malaysia (Bakewell and Kudus 2017, Carboneras et al. 2020, Eaton et al. 2021).

Conservation and research actions underway
There is a captive population at Jersey Zoo (Young and Brayshaw 2004).

Conservation and research actions proposed
Conduct further surveys to clarify its population size, distribution, and status. Instigate regular monitoring of selected key populations. Conduct long-term ecological studies to establish management requirements. Afford protected status to key sites. Research the impact that hunting is having on the population and promote strict enforcement of hunting regulations and minimise encroachment, disturbance and habitat degradation in all protected areas supporting populations.