News & Events

Turtle of the Week: Vietnamese Pond Turtle

The Vietnamese Pond Turtle (Mauremys annamensis) is an endemic species of coastal south-central Vietnam. This turtle features a dark head and bright yellow stripes on the side of its face.

Spending most of its time in water, its habitats include marshes, ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams and rivers, and rice paddies. At our Turtle Survival Center, these turtles can be found in large ponds, or basking on the shore nearby.

These striped-faced beauties face threats such as collection for the food, pet, and medicinal trades, and habitat destruction and alteration. To combat their decline, we manage assurance colonies at the Turtle Survival Center and captive breed this species to increase their numbers and genetic diversity. The Vietnamese Pond Turtle was one of the first priority species to hatch at the TSC since its inception ten years ago, and 95 hatchlings have been produced since then.

• Pictured: Vietnamese Pond Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
• Countries of Origin: Vietnam
• Habitat: Marshes, ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams and rivers, and rice paddies
• Wild Population: Decreasing; estimated population reduction greater than 99%; wild population is estimated to be less than 50 adults
• IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
• Threats: Collection for the food, pet, and medicinal trades; habitat destruction and alteration