Batagur kachuga (credit: Brian D. Horne/Wildlife Conservation Society)
The Turtle Conservation Coalition and the Wildlife Conservation society have just named the most endangered turtle species on the planet at a workshop in Singapore. for some – such as ‘Lonesome George’ the future is not good. Poor George is the only remaining individual of Abdington Island giant tortoise.
Some turtle species have as few as 4 individuals.
Sadly while turtles are popular with many people they do not hold the iconic status of other animals. So while tigers – with over 3,200 in the wild and many thousands other in captivity – get media attention and major PR from the wildlife conservation groups the poor old turtles get little attention. The threat for many turtle species though is far greater than the threat to the tiger.
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle, for instance, only have 4 remaining individuals left in the world. The last remaining male-female pair are at Suzhou Zoo and international efforts are being made to try help help captive breed the species out of extinction with just this one couple.
The top 25 endangered turtle species.
The names of the most endangered species are;
- Chelonoidis abingdonii,
- Rafetus swinhoei,
- Cuora yunnanensis,
- Batagur baska,
- Batagur trivittata,
- Cuora zhoui,
- Cuora mccordi,
- Cuora aurocapitata,
- Cuora trifasciata,
- Astrochelys yniphora,
- Geochelone platynota,
- Chelodina mccordi,
- Chitra chitra,
- Mauremys annamensis,
- Dermatemys mawii,
- Erymnochelys madagascariensis,
- Batagur kachuga,
- Batagur affinis,
- Leucocephalon yuwonoi,
- Pseudemydura umbrina,
- Mesoclemmys hogei,
- Psammobates geometricus,
- Siebenrockiella leytensis,
- Podocnemis lewyana,
- Batagur borneoensis,
Some notable endangered turtle species.
While all the species on the list are at real threat of being lost some of the more notable species include the Giant River Turtle (Batagur baska). This species which is predominantly found in the Terengganu River of Malaysia is classed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Other populations are found in Bangladesh, Cambodia; India and Indonesia but numbers are dwindling quickly.
The Yunnan Box Turtle (Cuora yunnanensis) is so rare it has only had three confirmed individuals found since 1946 despite there being 15 years of searching for this species which is thought to inhabit freshwater systems in China. Because there have been so few examples of the turtle researchers know little about it including it’s range. It is thought though that the turtle inhabits the region of Yunnan-Myanmar and Yunnan-Laos border regions.
The McCord’s Box Turtle (Cuora mccordi) is exceptionally rare and was only recorded in the wild in 2007 – just a few years ago. It is classed as critically endangered by the IUCN and there is almost no information known about the turtle. It is though to be endemic to the Guangxi province of China.
Turtles threatened across the world.
The endangered turtle species that have been named by the coalition are spread across the world though most of the species are from the Asia region;
- Asia – 17 species,
- South America – 3 species,
- Africa – 3 species,
- Australia – 1 species,
- South America – 1 species.
There are many threats that are impacting on turtle numbers. Some species which are highly endemic are seeing loss of habitat and other localised impacts. The greatest threats though are global threats.
Threats facing turtles.
Turtles are highly collectible and some of the rarest species will fetch thousands of dollars on the black market. Turtles are also used in the traditional Chinese medicine remedies. Turtle meat and eggs are also highly prized delicacies. If the hunting and capture of the turtles continues then it is feared that many of the species named today with be extinct in the wild within 10 years.
“Turtles are being unsustainably hunted throughout Asia,” said the report co-author Brian D. Horne of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Every tortoise and turtle species in Asia is being impacted in some manner by the international trade in turtles and turtle products. In just one market in Dhaka, Bangladesh we saw close to 100,000 turtles being butchered for consumption during a religious holiday, and we know of at least three other such markets within the city.”
Liz Bennett, Vice President of WCS Species Program, said: “Turtles are wonderfully adapted to defend themselves against predators by hiding in their shells, but this defence mechanism doesn’t work against organized, large-scale human hunting efforts. The fact is that turtles are being vacuumed up from every nook and cranny in Asia and beyond.”
