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Species Spotlight: Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle

This turtle is aptly named for the three distinct stripes along its carapace. It also features a brightly patterned head, with yellow, black, and brown markings.

The Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle is often known as the “Golden Coin Turtle” due to its high economic value in the pet, food, and traditional medicine trades. Like most members of the Cuora genus, it has been decimated by overcollection and habitat destruction, making it a priority species for conservation breeding and genetic management at our Turtle Survival Center. These ex situ programs help secure the future existence of this species. Since October 2022, we have produced 16 hatchlings of this species at the Center.

@joelsartore documents thousands of species in his Photo Ark for National Geographic. In 2020 and again in 2021, Joel visited the Turtle Survival Center to photograph critically endangered turtle species, including the Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle.

• Pictured: Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle (Cuora trifasciata)
• Countries of Origin: China
• Habitat: Clear streams in forested hills
• Wild Population: Decreasing; estimated population reduction greater than 95%; individuals scattered and increasingly difficult to find
• IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
• Threats: Collection for the pet, food, and traditional medicinal trades, habitat destruction, and genetic pollution through hybridization

Header image: A hatchling Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle at the Turtle Survival Center, photo by Cris Hagen.