Turtles in Trouble: The World's 25+ Most Endangered - Wildlife ...

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Turtles in Trouble: Top 25+ Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles—2011Other Top 40 Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles at Very High Risk of ExtinctionRadiated TortoiseAstrochelys radiata (Shaw 1802); Family TestudinidaeAfrica: Madagascar; Introduced: Mauritius (Rodrigues, Round), RéunionIUCN Red List: CR, Critically Endangered A4d, E; CITES: Appendix IThis large and strikingly beautiful and charismatic speciesof tortoise was once considered to be one of the moreabundant tortoise species on the planet. However, due to theincredible scale of recent degradation and destruction of itsvulnerable dry spiny forest habitat in southern Madagascar, aswell as rapidly increasing exploitation for the domestic foodtrade and the international pet trade, this species has plummetedin numbers. In addition, long-held local cultural beliefsby some tribes to not harm the tortoises have gradually erodeddue to extreme human poverty in the region. The Turtle SurvivalAlliance, in conjunction with Conservation International,the Turtle Conservation Fund, and the IUCN Tortoise andFreshwater Turtle Specialist Group, are focusing significantconservation attention and resources on this species and thisimportant biodiversity region.Astrochelys radiata, Madagascar. Photo by Anders G.J. Rhodin.Bourret’s Box TurtleCuora bourreti Obst and Reimann 1994; Family GeoemydidaeAsia: Cambodia (?), Laos (?), VietnamIUCN Red List: NE, Not Evaluated; TFTSG Draft: CR, Critically Endangered; CITES: Appendix II, as Cuora spp.This is another highly terrestrial and secretive hill speciesof the genus Cuora, with a carapace length of up to 19cm, its shell varying from cream to orange-brown to nearlycompletely black. It was described as a subspecies of C. galbinifrons,but genetic studies have shown that it is more likelya separate species, although debate about this continues. Itinhabits the evergreen monsoon hill forests of the Annamitemountain range at elevations of 300–800 m in central Vietnam,possibly also occurring in adjacent Laos and Cambodia.Overharvesting for food markets has decimated wild populationsof the species. While it is still seen in modest numbersin Chinese food markets, it is now only rarely encountered inthe wild. The Asian Turtle Program, supported by the TurtleSurvival Alliance, the Turtle Conservation Fund, and others,is currently actively surveying for this species in central Vietnam,and maintains an assurance colony at Cuc Phuong.Cuora bourreti, Vietnam. Photo by Torsten Blanck.– 48 –
Turtles in Trouble: Top 25+ Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles—2011Other Top 40 Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles at Very High Risk of ExtinctionIndochinese Box TurtleCuora galbinifrons Bourret 1939; Family GeoemydidaeAsia: China (Guangxi, Hainan), Laos, VietnamIUCN Red List: CR, Critically Endangered A1d+2d; CITES: Appendix II, as Cuora spp.The Indochinese Box Turtle was described from theTam Dao mountain region in northern Vietnam back in1939, and was regarded as somewhat of a phantom until the1960s, when the first specimens began to arrive in westerncollections. The species has a moderately domed brownishto black carapace with yellowish to reddish lateral areasoften intersected by dark stripes. This species inhabits evergreenmonsoon hill forests at elevations of 300–900 m ofnorthern Vietnam, northern Laos, extreme southern ChineseGuangxi Province and Hainan Island, the latter sometimesregarded as an intermediate population of C. galbinifronsand C. bourreti which has at times been considereda separate subspecies. The species is hunted with the helpof dogs and sold to Chinese food markets. The species wasonce considered to be very hard to keep alive in captivity,but in recent years breeding has occurred to an increasingextent. The Asian Turtle Program at Cuc Phuong in Vietnammaintains an assurance colony.Cuora galbinifrons, Vietnam. Photo by Doug Hendrie.Spider TortoisePyxis arachnoides Bell 1827; Family TestudinidaeAfrica: MadagascarIUCN Red List: CR, Critically Endangered A4cd, E; CITES: Appendix IThis small, attractive tortoise has a limited distributionin southwestern Madagascar. Populations have declinedprecipitously from a combination of several factors: lossof its scrub and dune habitat, targeted collection for theinternational pet trade in the 1990s and up to 2004 beforebeing placed on CITES Appendix I, and steeply increasinglocal consumption as local taboos and customs break down.All three of its subspecies are affected, but the northern P.a. brygooi is the most impacted. Surveys over the last fewyears by Ryan Walker and colleagues have found that P. a.brygooi is restricted to just four extant populations, of whichthree are depleted and only one remains at reasonably highdensity, but at high risk for exploitation. Local villagers arepositive towards tortoises, and urgent action to empowercommunities to keep protecting tortoises and preventincursion by outside tortoise collectors is essential.Pyxis a. oblonga, Madagascar. Photo by Anders G.J. Rhodin.– 49 –
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