China and Vietnam to Cooperate on Saving World’s Rarest Turtle
CHINA AND VIETNAM TO COOPERATE ON SAVING THE WORLD’S RAREST TURTLE For Immediate Release July 30th, 2018 Charleston, South Carolina – The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), one of the rarest animals on Earth, may have been given a reprieve from extinction this week with the announcement that Vietnam and China may work to […]
Indonesia: East Nusa Tenggara Protects Critical Rote Island Habitat
The Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle: Congratulations to East Nusa Tenggara for establishing the Rote Essential Ecosystem Areas in an effort to protect and reintroduce this iconic species! The designation of the three lakes (Peto, Lendoen and Ledulu) as KEE is a very good effort for the protection of the LAST FEASIBLE HABITAT of the Roti […]
Reintroduction preparations for captive bred Vietnamese Pond Turtles
The Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (CMZ) has worked since 1998 to promote tortoise and freshwater turtle (TFT) conservation through awareness, training and research activities. The Mauremys annamensis Project (MAP) has focused on this critically endangered and endemic species in central Vietnam with a permanent field presence since 2007. MAP activities have […]
European Turtle Breeding Report 2008/2009
In recent years, the interest among European zoos and privates regarding breeding Asian turtles, with an emphasis on species of the genus Cuora, has been increasing (see also the TSA Newsletter 2008). This is due to the conservation status of a number of species (classified into the highest IUCN threat categories) and thus also the […]
A range country assurance colony for the Philippine Forest Turtle
Katala Foundation Incorporated (KFI) is a Palawan-based NGO working on the conservation of threatened native species. The Katala Institute for Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation (KIEBC), one of several centers / projects managed by KFI, is located in Antipuluan, Narra, Palawan. It is here that the only range country assurance colony of the Palawan endemic and […]
Seized Turtles in the EU as a Source for Conservation
The European Union has traditionally been a very important market for the reptile trade. We all think of Germany, of course, but all the other countries have a strong appeal for traders, both legal and illegal. As the EU and National regulations became tighter (a process still going on), the illegal trade in turtles has […]
Turtle Trouble on the Brahmaputra
By Rishika Dubla and Shailendra Singh. Though the endangered Assam roofed turtle receives legal protection at par with the Bengal tiger, it is still poached for the illegal pet trade and its eggs collected for consumption. Read more from RoundGlass Sustain HERE.
TSA and WCS sponsored workshop provides blueprint for turtle conservation in Myanmar
From 7 ‚Äì 10 January 2009 the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in conjunction with the Myanmar Forestry Department, conducted two workshops in Mandalay. A Species Recovery Plan (SRP) workshop for the Myanmar roof turtle, Kachuga (Batagur) trivittata, was followed by a comprehensive trade workshop entitled “Developing an Integrative Strategy for […]
Chambal River Sanctuary Program Protects Two Species of Sympatric Batagur
Large batagurid turtles of the genus Batagur are probably the most threatened freshwater turtles in India. Their populations have been immensely reduced due to multiple factors such as poaching, accidental drowning in fishing gear, and habitat destruction. They have all but disappeared from most of the Ganges river system, one of the world’s largest watersheds. […]
Comprehensive survey of Spider tortoise distribution in Madagascar gets underway in the north
The Madagascar spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides spp.), or Kapila as the species is referred to locally, has a carapace size of around 15cm, making it one of the world’s smaller tortoise species. With its intricate spider web type patterning on the carapace, it is arguably one of the world’s most beautiful and charismatic chelonia. During […]
New Chitra Conservation Program Off to an Impressive Start
In the fall of 2008, we initiated a status assessment and experimental hatch-and-release program for the endangered Indian Narrow Headed Softshell turtle (Chitra indica). This is an extensively hunted species in north India, mostly for its outer cartilaginous rim or “calipee.” Although its dried calipee is considered to be sub-standard in comparison to the other […]
The Egyptian Tortoise – latest news on the 2005 confiscated shipment in Italy
Alessandro Fornetti reported extensively on the confiscated shipments of tortoises that originated in Libya in the 2008 TSA Newsletter. At that time, the legal situation regarding the shipments was uncertain and even after almost three years, almost no progress could be reported. However, the condition of the first 2005 confiscation is stable. The animals were […]
