This gal looks like she's smiling! Are these turtles friendly? How do they fit in with local culture?
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Red-Crowned River Turtle
Photograph courtesy Peter Paul van Dijk, Conservation International
The gallery is part of a special news series on global water issues.
A red-crowned river turtle seems to smile in the face of uncertainty.
Habitat loss, hunting, and the pet trade have all eaten away at healthy freshwater turtle populations, leaving many species at risk of extinction, according to a new report from Conservation International.
"More than 40 percent of the planet's freshwater turtle species are threatened with extinction—making them among the most threatened groups of animals on the planet," Peter Paul van Dijk, director of Conservation Insternational's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program stated in a press release. "Their decline is an indicator that the freshwater ecosystems that millions of people rely on for irrigation, food, and water are being damaged in a manner that could have dire consequences for people and turtles alike."
The red-crowned turtle was once found throughout India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, but because it has been harvested as food, blocked by dams, and injured by pollution, there is only a single population left, in central India's Chambal River.
(See more photos of aquatic species.)
—Tasha Eichenseher
Published September 15, 2010
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Central American River Turtle
Photograph courtesy Thomas Rainwater, Conservation International
The Central American river turtle survived the age of dinosaurs but is now at risk of being eaten to death by humans.
Its prized meat is hunted from remote wetlands and served during religious celebrations.
The turtle, one of nearly 350 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises found around the world, is apparently so "floppy" that it has a hard time leaving the water, preferring to nest under the surface during floods, according to Conservation International.
(Learn more about freshwater ecosystems.)
Published September 15, 2010
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Annam Pond Turtle
Photograph courtesy Peter Paul van Dijk, Conservation International
The Annam pond turtle is found only in select central Vietnamese wetlands. Harvested for Chinese markets in the 1990s, just a handful remain in the wild.
Turtles help maintain wetlands by spreading seeds and eating vegetation, insects, snails, and dead animals.
Most species live up to nearly 60 years, reaching maturity after 10 to 15.
Published September 15, 2010
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Giant Softshell Turtle
Photograph courtesy Peter Paul van Dijk, Conservation International
One of the largest turtles in the world, the Southeast Asian giant softshell turtle can weigh up to a quarter of a ton. The behemoth can be found in two small rivers in western Thailand, according to Conservation International's new report on the fate of freshwater tortoises and turtles.
Dams, pollution, and hunting plague the species, as well as runoff from riverside farms that clouds the water, making it hard for the turtle to find prey.
Erosion from farming and deforestation threatens other turtle species, as do invasive species.
According to the 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, of 212 turtle species evaluated, eight are now extinct, more than 70 are endangered, and another hundred are at risk of decline.
Published September 15, 2010
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Myanmar River Turtle
Photograph courtesy Brian D. Horne, Conservation International
Once found throughout Myanmar's Irrawaddy River Basin, the Myanmar River turtle has been reduced to fewer than a dozen mature animals found in a tributary of the Irrawaddy.
Mining for gold in the region has contributed to the water pollution and human traffic that threaten the species. In an effort to protect the turtle, eggs have been collected and young turtles are being raised in captivity at the Mandalay Zoo, according to Conservation International.
(Read about endangered river dolphins in the Irrawaddy River.)
Published September 15, 2010
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Bog Turtle
Photograph courtesy Peter Paul van Dijk, Conservation International
This tiny—usually four-inch—turtle burrrows in the mud to find worms, slugs, and grubs. More than 95 percent of its marsh and meadow habitat has been converted to farmland, according to Conservation International. Only a few scattered populations remain from New York to Tennessee.
Published September 15, 2010
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Yunnan Box Turtle
Photograph courtesy Ting Zhou, Torsten Blanck, and William McCord
Once thought extinct, a few Yunnan box turtles were found in 2005 at a location still kept secret. The survivors are now part of a conservation breeding program that scientists hope can save the species.
Yunnan box turtles are sold on the black market for nearly $10,000, according to Conservation International.
Published September 15, 2010
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Coahuila Box Turtle
Photograph courtesy Jennifer Howeth, Conservation International
Box turtles, like the coahuila box turtle shown here, are named after their lower shell's ability to rise and close off.
Most box turtles live on land, but the coahuila is found in the springs and marshes of the semi-desert regions of northern Mexico known as Cuatro Cienegas.
Groundwater depletion caused by nearby farms and cities threatens to dry out the turtle's habitat.
Published September 15, 2010
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Roti Snake-Necked Turtle
Photograph courtesy Anders G. J. Rhodin, Conservation International
As soon as the Roti snake-necked turtle was discovered on the small Indonesian island of Roti in 1994, it was sought after by American, Japanese, and European pet sellers, according to Conservation International. By 2000, the species was nearly extinct. The environmental nonprofit recommends designated protected areas and better enforcement and monitoring to stop illegal trading.
Published September 15, 2010
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Red River Giant Softshell Turtle
Photograph courtesy Asian Turtle Program via Conservation International
There are only four Red River giant softshell turtles left in the world. Two adults in captivity in China have mated without reproducing. A lone animal in Hoan Keim lake in downtown Hanoi is considered a symbol of Vietnam's independence, and the fourth remaining member of the species lives in a wetland west of Hanoi.
Conservationists continue to encourage reproduction between the two turtles in captivity, and are on the lookout for any other Red River giant softshells in the wild.
Published September 15, 2010
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