Yunnan Box Turtle - IUCN Red List 50
© Zhou Ting, William P. McCord, & Torsten Blanck
Species of the Day: Yunnan Box Turtle The Yunnan Box Turtle, Cuora yunnanensis, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, a decade after being listed as ‘Extinct’. This species was first discovered around 1906 in high altitude areas in China, and was not recorded for many years until a few captive animals appeared in 2005. Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org www.iucn-tftsg.org Help Save Species www.arkive.org
There were doubts as to whether these captive-bred animals were genuine Yunnan Box Turtles, but genetic testing showed that they were. The reasons for the species’ rarity are not clear, but are thought to include the limited availability of suitable habitats at high elevations and collection for consumption and medicinal use, as well as widespread habitat destruction and degradation. While potentially extremely valuable in the global pet trade - the first animal to emerge from China into the international pet trade is reputed to be worth about USD 50,000 - the Yunnan Box Turtle is strictly protected in China, where some of the known animals are safeguarded in captivity. A comprehensive captive breeding and species recovery programme is also taking shape.
Species of the Day is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.
Species of the Day: Yunnan Box Turtle The Yunnan Box Turtle, Cuora yunnanensis, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, a decade after being listed as ‘Extinct’. This species was first discovered around 1906 in high altitude areas in China, and was not recorded for many years until a few captive animals appeared in 2005. Geographical range
www.iucnredlist.org www.iucn-tftsg.org Help Save Species www.arkive.org
There were doubts as to whether these captive-bred animals were genuine Yunnan Box Turtles, but genetic testing showed that they were. The reasons for the species’ rarity are not clear, but are thought to include the limited availability of suitable habitats at high elevations and collection for consumption and medicinal use, as well as widespread habitat destruction and degradation. While potentially extremely valuable in the global pet trade - the first animal to emerge from China into the international pet trade is reputed to be worth about USD 50,000 - the Yunnan Box Turtle is strictly protected in China, where some of the known animals are safeguarded in captivity. A comprehensive captive breeding and species recovery programme is also taking shape.
Species of the Day is sponsored by
The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.
