It’s not easy to be a turtle in the 21st century.
A new report warns that freshwater turtles and tortoises are among the world’s
most threatened groups of species, with more than 40 percent at risk of
extinction due to habitat loss, the illegal pet trade, and consumption for food
and traditional medicine.
Among the most threatened species are the
Yangtze giant Asian softshell (Rafetus
swinhoei), which is down to its last three individuals in China and
Vietnam; the ploughshare tortoise (Astrochelys
yniphora) of Madagascar, which fetches enormous prices in the illegal pet
trade and could disappear from the wild as soon as this year; and the
three-striped box turtle (Cuora
trifasciata), ownership of which “has become a financial investment and
status symbol in China,” according to the report.
Also considered highly at risk: the Nubian
flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans),
not seen in the wild in at least 15 years and feared extinct by some
conservationists.
All told about half of all tortoise and
freshwater turtle species and subspecies are threatened or at risk of
extinction.
The authors of the report, which was issued
last week by a partnership of 10 turtle conservation organizations, call it “an
effort to publicize the plight of tortoises and freshwater turtles by
highlighting those species that are at the highest risk of extinction.” Sadly
that’s obviously needed, as not much has changed since the previous
edition of this report in 2011, which contained a very similar list of
turtles. Conservation efforts have benefited a few of these species during that
time period, but not enough to improve their overall outlook. In fact the only
species from the 2011 list that doesn’t appear in the 2018 edition is the Pinta
giant tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii) of the Galápagos, which went extinct in
2012 with the death of world-famous
tortoise Lonesome George.
So why should we care? Well, other than the
fact that this list contains some stunningly beautiful and interesting species,
tortoises and freshwater turtles also serve vitally important ecological roles
in their native habitats. As the report points out, various species help to
shape rivers and waterways, assist plant populations by dispersing seeds and
fungi, and even keep water clean by scavenging dead animals. They’re also
significant in human culture and art — which is one of the reasons they’re at
risk.
Here’s the list of the 27 most threatened
tortoise and freshwater tortoise species. You can learn a lot more about each
of them by downloading the full report here.
1 Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei)
2 Ploughshare tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora)
3 Yunnan box turtle (Cuora yunnanensis)
4 Northern river terrapin (Batagur baska)
5 Myanmar roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata)
6 Zhou’s box turtle (Cuora zhoui)
7 McCord’s box turtle (Cuora mccordi)
8 Geometric turtle (Psammobates geometricus)
9 Golden-headed box turtle (Cuora aurocapitata)
10 Dahl’s toad-headed turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli)
11 Nubian flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans)
12 Three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata)
13 Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota)
14 Roti Island snake-headed turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
15 Southeast Asian narrow-headed softshell
turtle (Chitra chitra)
16 Bellinger River snapping turtle (Myuchelys georgesi)
17 Vietnamese pond turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
18 Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii)
19 Madagascar big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis)
20 Southern river terrapin (Batagur affinis)
21 Red-crowned roof turtle (Batagur kachuga)
22 Sulawesi forest turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonoi)
23 Western swamp turtle (Pseudemydura umbrina)
24 Hodge’s side-necked turtle (Mesoclemmys hogei)
25 Palawan forest turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis)
26 Magdalena river turtle (Podocnemis lewyana)
27 Painted terrapin (Batagur borneoensis)
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