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
    • Conservation Efforts:
      - Habitat protection, restoration, management
      - Genetic rescue and management
      - Protected in Colombia
    • Wild Population:
      - Decreasing
      - Populations highly fragmented
    • Endangered Status:
      Critically Endangered

Fast Facts

This aptly named turtle is known for its broad head and wide mouth, which resemble those of a toad. It features an olive-colored, slightly oval-shaped carapace and, of course, bears a large, protruding head, earning its name.

La Carranchina is the Spanish name for the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle.

Species Snapshot

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.