Turtles in Trouble
The World’s Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
The latest edition of Turtles in Trouble is here.
“Impacting 43 of the 66 species featured in Turtles in Trouble, Turtle Survival Alliance has focused on protecting the world’s most endangered turtles in the world. This document solidifies TSA‘s reputation as the most effective turtle conservation organization in the world and one truly deserving of your support.”
— Rick Hudson, President Emeritus, Turtle Survival Alliance
Published by the Turtle Conservation Coalition*, Turtles in Trouble is a global report spotlighting the world’s most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles. Last released in 2018, this 2025 issue serves as a powerful call to action, drawing urgent attention to species on the brink of extinction.
This report identifies the most threatened species and amplifies their stories, reminding us what’s at stake if we fail to act. TSA is tirelessly working towards zero turtle extinctions, positively impacting 43 of the 66 species highlighted in this latest report.
Help us turn awareness into action.
Read the report. Share it. And join the movement by making a donation today to ensure a brighter future for turtles.
*Turtle Conservation Coalition: IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservancy, Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle Conservation Fund, Re:wild, and Chelonian Research Foundation
TSA is actively supporting 43 of the 66 species featured in Turtles in Trouble. Hover over the species below to learn about the conservation actions underway.
Ploughshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora)
Turtle Survival Alliance manages a colony of Ploughshare Tortoises in Madagascar, composed of adults and juveniles confiscated from the illegal trade. This colony represents one of only two captive populations of this critically endangered species in the country. The first successful hatching within our assurance colony occurred in 2020. Photo by Sheena Koeth
Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
Turtle Survival Alliance manages over 25,000 Radiated Tortoises rescued from illegal trade in Madagascar. Through our Confiscation to Reintroduction Strategy, we released the first 1,000 into a community-protected forest in 2021 and have since returned several thousand more, with an ambitious goal to release 20,000 within the next five years. Photo by Lance Paden
Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis)
Turtle Survival Alliance has partnered with WCS Cambodia since 2006 and supported ACCB since 2022 to save the Southern River Terrapin in Cambodia through actions including nest patrols, headstarting, assurance colonies, captive breeding, and releases. In 2023, TSA expanded efforts to Malaysia with Turtle Conservation Society, advancing nest protection, hatchling releases, and community engagement. Photo by Phun Thorn
Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis)
Turtle Survival Alliance supports Painted Terrapin conservation across their range, partnering with SatuCita Foundation in Sumatra since 2009 on community engagement, river surveys, nest patrols, and egg protection—efforts that have resulted in thousands of hatchlings released. In 2023, TSA began supporting Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, and in 2024, expanded efforts with PULIHARA to protect this imperiled species. Photo by Joko Guntoro
Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska)
Turtle Survival Alliance supported conservation of the Northern River Terrapin in Bangladesh and India from 2008 to 2023 through surveys across the Sundarbans, establishment of assurance colonies, successful captive breeding yielding over 1,000 hatchlings, and pioneering release programs, laying the groundwork for rewilding one of the world’s most endangered freshwater turtle species. Photo by Rupali Ghosh
Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga)
Turtle Survival Alliance supported Red-crowned Roofed Turtle conservation across India’s Indo-Gangetic Plain from 2004 to 2023 through extensive surveys, establishing assurance colonies, and annually protecting nests in riverside hatcheries within the National Chambal Sanctuary, yielding the release of thousands of hatchlings and headstarted individuals to bolster wild populations and secure the species’ long-term survival. Photo by Sheena Koeth
Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata)
Turtle Survival Alliance and local partners in Myanmar have worked since 2005 to save the Burmese Roofed Turtle from extinction, conducting river surveys, protecting nests, incubating eggs, maintaining assurance and breeding colonies, and releasing head-started subadults. These efforts have increased the species’ population in Myanmar from just a handful to well over 2,000. Photo by Kyaw Zaw Aung
Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans)
Turtle Survival Alliance supports Black Softshell Turtle conservation in Bangladesh with Creative Conservation Alliance through nest detection and egg incubation at the Shrine of Bayazid Bostami. For over 15 years, we conducted field surveys and partnered with Indian shrines to incubate eggs and release hatchlings into the Brahmaputra River basin. Photo by Scott Trageser
Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center prioritizes this critically endangered species, endemic to Indonesia’s small Rote Island and now believed extinct in the wild. Since 2019, we’ve successfully hatched 67 individuals. Together with our partners, we are contributing captive bred offspring from the Center to the AZA SSP and repatriation efforts. Photo by Cris Hagen
Asian Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle (Chitra chitra)
Turtle Survival Alliance with Turtle Sanctuary Conservation Center (France), recently conducted surveys in the Mae Klong River of southwest Thailand. These confirmed the continued presence of this critically endangered species after a 20-year gap in published records, providing key insight into its status within its historical range. Photo by Doug Hendrie
Burmese Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle (Chitra vandijki)
Turtle Survival Alliance works with local partners in Myanmar to conduct field research, detect and protect nests, and care for individuals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. This critically endangered turtle is endemic to Myanmar, and these efforts are important to ensuring its survival in the wild. Photo by ©Joel Sartore/ Photo Ark
Golden-headed Box Turtle (Cuora aurocapitata)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the critically endangered Golden-headed Box Turtle, not seen in the wild since 2013. Since 2014, we’ve hatched 23 individuals, each one a crucial step toward preventing extinction and restoring hope for a species feared gone from its native Chinese habitat. Photo by Arpita Dutta
Vietnamese Three-striped Box Turtle (Cuora cyclornata)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the critically endangered Vietnamese Three-striped Box Turtle, with fewer than 500 individuals estimated in the wild. In 2024, we achieved a significant milestone by hatching the first pure specimen of this species. Genetic pollution from hybridization with its sister species, the Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle, has hindered conservation efforts. Photo by Jordan Gray
McCord’s Box Turtle (Cuora mccordi)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the critically endangered McCord’s Box Turtle, which has not been seen in the wild since 2010. Since 2016, we have successfully hatched 50 individuals, each representing a crucial step toward preventing extinction and restoring hope for this species feared extinct in its native China. Photo by Rachael Harff
Pan’s Box Turtle (Cuora pani)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the critically endangered Pan’s Box Turtle, a species considered near functionally extinct in the wild, with fewer than ten sightings annually. Since 2019, we have hatched 19 individuals, providing a vital lifeline to support their survival should they become extinct in the wild. Photo by Chelsea Rinn
Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle (Cuora trifasciata)
The Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the critically endangered Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle, with fewer than 500 estimated in the wild. Since 2022, we’ve hatched 19 individuals. Conservation is complicated by widespread hybridization with other species, including its sister species, the Vietnamese Three-striped Box Turtle, compromising the species’ genetic integrity. Photo by Cris Hagen
Zhou’s Box Turtle (Cuora zhoui)
The Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the Zhou’s Box Turtle, feared extinct in the wild, as no new specimens have been reported since 2009. With no males in the U.S. since 2018, breeding has stalled. TSA is working with European partners to import at least one male, offering new hope through captive reproduction. Photo by Sheena Koeth
Nubian Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans)
Turtle Survival Alliance collaborates with Luca Luiselli to conserve the last Nubian Flapshell Turtle populations along the White Nile in northern Uganda and South Sudan. Rediscovered in 2017 after suspected extinction, efforts include protecting nesting beaches, surveying markets for poached turtles, engaging communities, and supporting young Ugandan scientists in conservation leadership. Photo by Luca Luiselli
Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii)
Turtle Survival Alliance partners with BFREE in Belize and Eduardo Reyes Grajales in Mexico to conserve this ancient species. Efforts include habitat protection, field surveys, riverside community outreach, captive release, and a tri-national Conservation Action Plan. In Belize, over 1,000 turtles have been released from the Hicatee Conservation & Research Center’s breeding and headstarting program. Photo by Parker Gibbons
Mary River Turtle (Elusor macrurus)
Turtle Survival Alliance partners with the Burnett Mary Regional Group in southeastern Queensland, Australia, to implement conservation initiatives for the Mary River Turtle, an evolutionarily distinct species from an ancient lineage, endemic to a single river system. These include community-based habitat restoration, national conservation workshops, and integration of traditional ecological knowledge. Photo courtesy of the Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management
Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota)
Turtle Survival Alliance and local partners in Myanmar have worked since 2005 to save the Burmese Star Tortoise from extinction in the wild by establishing assurance and breeding colonies, releasing headstarted subadults, and patrolling protected areas. These efforts have grown the population in Myanmar from just a couple hundred to well over 20,000. Photo by Swann Htet
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)
Turtle Survival Alliance performs Bog Turtle research and population assessments in northern New Jersey in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and co-manages the Bern Tryon Southern Bog Turtle Fund, which supports conservation projects across the southern portion of this critically endangered species’ range. Photo by Joe Pignatelli
Arakan Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa)
Turtle Survival Alliance works with local partners in Myanmar and Creative Conservation Alliance in Bangladesh to protect the Arakan Forest Turtle. Together, we manage breeding colonies from confiscated individuals, conduct field surveys, as well as maintain a breeding group at our Turtle Survival Center to safeguard this critically endangered species. Photo by Scott Trageser
Sulawesi (Forsten’s) Tortoise (Indotestudo forstenii)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center maintains a large breeding colony of Forsten’s Tortoises and has supported field surveys in their native island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Since 2016, the Center has successfully hatched 32 tortoises, contributing to the conservation of this increasingly rare species. Photo by Jordan Gray
Home’s Hinge-back Tortoise (Kinixys homeana)
Turtle Survival Alliance has forthcoming efforts with numerous partners across equatorial Africa, including Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo, to assess the conservation status of this rapidly declining species, which is heavily impacted by habitat loss and poaching for the pet and bushmeat trades. Photo by Sheena Koeth
Vallarta Mud Turtle (Kinosternon vogti)
Turtle Survival Alliance works with our partners in Mexico, Estudiantes Conservando La Naturaleza and Guadalajara Zoo, to protect this species nearing extinction in the wild. Conservation actions include establishing assurance colonies, field research, protecting and restoring habitat, increasing law enforcement, and expanding local outreach, public awareness campaigns, and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Photo by Taggert Butterfield
Sulawesi Forest Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonoi)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center maintains a large breeding colony of Sulawesi Forest Turtles and has supported field surveys in their native island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Since 2018, the Center has successfully hatched 30 individuals, contributing to the conservation of this increasingly rare species. Photo by Jordan Gray
Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
Turtle Survival Alliance, with partners Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service, and National Museums of Kenya, is engaging community conservancies and advancing research efforts to prioritize Pancake Tortoise conservation, while also spearheading the National Recovery and Conservation Action Plan for the species in Kenya. Photo by Clinton S. Doak
Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys)
Turtle Survival Alliance works with local partners in Myanmar and Creative Conservation Alliance in Bangladesh to protect the Asian Giant Tortoise. Together, we manage breeding colonies from confiscated individuals, conduct surveys, and maintain an assurance colony at our Turtle Survival Center. These efforts have produced hundreds of hatchlings and enabled historic releases in Bangladesh, where the species is considered functionally extinct. Photo by Scott Trageser
Vietnamese Pond Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center maintains a large breeding colony of Vietnamese Pond Turtles, producing 92 hatchlings since 2013. Extirpated from much of their historical range, this species was the second to successfully reproduce at the Center shortly after it opened that same year. Photo by Cris Hagen
Chinese Red-necked Turtle (Mauremys nigricans)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center uses advanced genetic techniques to manage a breeding colony of Chinese Red-necked Turtles for maximum genetic diversity, producing 139 hatchlings since 2013. Potentially extinct in the wild—no wild specimens have been observed in decades—this species was the first to reproduce at the Center. Photo by Cris Hagen
Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli)
Turtle Survival Alliance, with WCS and Rainforest Trust, purchased land in Colombia in 2019 to secure a future for this endemic turtle. In 2022, 20 individuals were translocated to La Carranchina Natural Reserve to boost genetic diversity. Safeguarding 30% of its unique genetic heritage, the Reserve was named a Key Biodiversity Area in 2024. Photo by Mauricio "El Pato" Salcedo
Asian Giant Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii)
Turtle Survival Alliance partners with WCS Cambodia to conduct nesting surveys, protect nests, release hatchlings, and engage riverside communities. Alarmingly, the nesting female population has crashed from 2022 through the present, requiring immediate action to safeguard remaining hatchlings and ensure the survival of this critical Mekong River population. Photo by Chanti Gnourn
Asian Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum)
Turtle Survival Alliance works with local partners in Myanmar to combat wildlife trafficking, lead rescue operations, and integrate confiscated individuals into a large, successful breeding colony at the Turtle Rescue Center. Additionally, since 2015, we have successfully hatched 27 turtles at our Turtle Survival Center to complement these in situ efforts. Photo by Bill Hawthorne
Magdalena River Turtle (Podocnemis lewyana)
Turtle Survival Alliance works with WCS Colombia and the Tortugas del Sinú community project in Cotocá Arriba to engage local citizens, protect nesting beaches, perform population surveys, and patrol the Sinú River during nesting season. Together, we’ve safeguarded at-risk nests, incubated eggs, and released over 16,000 hatchlings since the initiative began. Photo by Jhonattan Vanegas
Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides)
Turtle Survival Alliance manages thousands of Spider Tortoises—Common, Northern, and Southern subspecies—rescued from illegal trade across our primary facilities in Madagascar. We also focus on establishing captive management procedures to ensure long-term care and sustainability. In 2024, our efforts led to the successful hatching of 62 Spider Tortoises. Photo by Brett Bertek
Flat-tailed Tortoise (Pyxis planicauda)
Turtle Survival Alliance manages a captive colony of Flat-tailed Tortoises in Madagascar’s Kirindy Forest from individuals rescued after devastating, human-created wildfires swept the Menabe-Antimena Protected Area and surrounding region. At our headquarters, we also care for tortoises confiscated from the illegal pet trade to safeguard this critically endangered species. Photo by Viktor Mislan
Red River Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei)
Turtle Survival Alliance has supported conservation of the Red River Giant Softshell Turtle since 2007, focusing on specimen detection surveys and in vitro fertilization. Following the 2023 death of the last known female in Dong Mo Lake, efforts have shifted to intensive surveys across northern Vietnam’s Red River watershed with Luca Luiselli and Turtle Sanctuary. Gerald Kuchling
Hoge’s Side-necked Turtle (Ranacephala hogei)
Turtle Survival Alliance partners with Glaucia Drummond, working with CREADS, to survey confirmed and exploratory areas in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil to expand the species’ known range and improve understanding of its distribution, as well as initiate stakeholder meetings to help address and reduce the many threats it faces. Photo by Brian Horne
Beale’s Eyed Turtle (Sacalia bealei)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center prioritizes the critically endangered Beale’s Eyed Turtle, a species rapidly declining in its clear, hill stream habitats in China. Since 2014, we have successfully hatched 29 individuals, providing crucial support to conserve this rare turtle and provide the potential to rebuild its dwindling wild populations. Photo by Cris Hagen
Pacific Coast Musk Turtle (Staurotypus salvinii)
Turtle Survival Alliance supports conservation efforts in Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala to combat this turtle’s decline through population surveys, genetic studies, monitoring, and community engagement. Environmental awareness campaigns and habitat protection advocacy remain key, with local communities actively integrated into field efforts to safeguard this imperiled species. Photo by Eduardo Reyes Grajales
Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus depressus)
Turtle Survival Alliance’s Turtle Survival Center houses the only specimen of this Alabama-endemic species in an AZA-accredited facility. In partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, we are working to establish an assurance colony for the species at our Center. Photo by Jordan Gray
Egyptian Tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni)
Turtle Survival Alliance supported Basem Motwaly, manager of Zaranik Protected Area, North Sinai, Egypt, in his Master’s studies at Missouri State University. Basem investigated Egyptian Tortoise population dynamics and viability to enhance protection through community-driven conservation. We now work towards supporting the strategy and efforts to safeguard the wild populations. Photo by Basem Rabia
