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Why Turtles?

Found around the world in rivers, deserts, jungles, and our own backyards, it’s easy to assume tortoises and freshwater turtles will always be here. But the very traits that once helped them survive render them vulnerable to extinction today.
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Protecting the world’s most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles

We All Play a Role.

To save turtles, we all play a role. Every day, tortoises and freshwater turtles around the globe face pressing threats. Your support equips us to support species where and how they need us most.

Turtles are ancient and remarkable creatures who deserve a champion. When you stand with us, you help ensure their continued survival. Together, we can create a world with zero turtle extinctions.

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MESOCLEMMYS DAHLI

Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle

Habitat:

– Slow-moving streams and pools
– Cattle ponds, swamps, and their surrounding tropical dry forest and pastures

Threats:

– Habitat destruction, alteration, and fragmentation
– Inbreeding depression
– Prolonged drought

Wild Population:

– Decreasing
– Populations highly fragmented

Conservation Efforts:

– Habitat protection, restoration, management
– Genetic rescue and management
– Protected in Colombia

Endangered Status:

Critically Endangered

Species Snapshot

Fast Facts

Dahl's Toad-headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli)_El Pato Salcedo 2500W Dahl's Toad-headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli)_Guido Miranda

On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, a 120-hectare (296 acre) parcel of habitat was acquired in San Benito Abad, Sucre, Colombia. This first of it’s kind reserve gives this little turtle a real fighting chance for survival and gives managers an opportunity to restore a genetically healthy and thriving wild population. 

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