The specific name, vandijki, is in honor of Dutch herpetologist Peter Paul van Dijk.

[6][7] C. vandijki is found in Myanmar, specifically the Irrawaddy and Chindwin river drainages,[6] and northwestern Thailand.

[7] The conservation status of C. vandijki has been evaluated as Critically Endangered by the IUCN,[1] and populations are believed to be declining due to overharvesting for southern Chinese food markets.

[7] On July 23, 2018, members of the TSA's and WCS's turtle conservation program in Myanmar excavated the nests of female C.vandijki on the banks of the Chindwin River in order to translocate them to a protected hatchery in Linpha Village.

The program also incubated eggs from the critically endangered Burmese roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata).