News & Events

Species Spotlight: Indochinese Box Turtle

Meet the Glorious galbinifrons of the Cuora genus

Happy #TurtleTuesday! Our #TurtleOfTheWeek is a fan favorite from the Asian box turtle genus, Cuora,   and resides at our very own Turtle Survival Center – Cuora galbinifrons! 

Known as the Indochinese Box Turtle, or Flowerback Box Turtle, due to the pattern on the turtle’s top shell, the glorious galb’ is a member of the colorful Cuora group, the Asian box turtles. These beauties commonly feature brightly colored arms, necks, and heads, which can be mottled with yellows, oranges, reds, grays, and black. Their “flowerback” shells are works of art – featuring base colors of oranges, browns, and tans, and striated, marked, and speckled with shades of brown and black.

The Indochinese Box Turtle is native to tropical and subtropical forests of Vietnam, Laos, and southern China. Like other species of the region, it was once common. But, as has become commonplace for turtle species in Southeast Asia, overexploitation for food, traditional medicine, and pet trades, and deforestation, has rendered wild populations Critically Endangered.

To help preserve the existence of this species, our Turtle Survival Center manages an extensive breeding assurance colony of Indochinese Box Turtles. Though delicate to maintain in captivity, each year we continue to see increased breeding success with this species. We have hatched 93 total hatchling Indochinese Box Turtles since 2016! 

• Pictured: Indochinese Box Turtle (Cuora galbinifrons)
• Countries of Origin: China, Laos, Vietnam
• Habitat: Tropical and subtropical upland, moist, closed-canopy forests
• Wild Population: Decreasing; estimated population reduction greater than 90%
• IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
• Threats: Collection for the pet and food trades; habitat destruction

Header image by Cris Hagen.