Most of China's top 10 endangered turtles have become extinct in the wild

Turtles are the most common small pets in flower and bird markets. They are numerous and of various varieties, and they are taken good care of by people after they are bought home. However, wild tortoise populations are not so lucky and are facing the threat of extinction due to human encroachment on natural resources. Below I will introduce to you the top ten endangered turtles in China. These turtles are currently facing a severe survival situation and need to take protective measures to save them. We should strengthen the protection of the living environment of wild turtles, prohibit illegal fishing and trade, and raise public awareness of turtle protection.

1. Tortoiseshell

The hawksbill turtle is a large sea turtle that mainly lives in tropical and subtropical waters along the southeastern coast of my country. They usually inhabit coastal reefs, bays, estuaries and clear lagoons. The shells of hawksbill turtles are extremely hard, and few animals can bite through their shells. There are few natural enemies, but sharks and crocodiles are natural enemies of hawksbill turtles. Octopus and some surface fish will also prey on adult hawksbill turtles. Hawksbill turtles often forage for sponges, and some sponges have an unpleasant smell on their bodies. Moreover, hawksbill turtles feed on poisonous sponges and cnidarians, and their meat is highly toxic, which can sometimes deter certain natural enemies or humans. Tortoiseshells are very ferocious and will bite when captured by humans. However, they will not attack humans if they are not harmed.

Once upon a time, hawksbill turtle populations flourished in vast sea areas. However, due to overfishing, it has now become an endangered species and is almost extinct in China's offshore waters. The hawksbill turtle has been included in China's national secondary list of key protected wild animals and is protected by the Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China.

2. Mountain Rui Turtle

Shanrui soft-shelled turtle, also known as Shanrui, has a round appearance and is similar to the Chinese soft-shelled turtle. However, in comparison, the Shanrui soft-shelled turtle is much thicker, much larger than the ordinary Chinese soft-shelled turtle, and has many warts on both sides of its head. grain. The number of wild mountain turtles is decreasing year by year, and they have become a critically endangered species. The main reasons are massive trapping and water pollution. In the past, the demand of some high-end restaurants and restaurants was mainly concentrated on turtles such as mountain turtles, resulting in huge demand.

In Guangdong and Guangxi regions, mountain soft-shelled turtles are regarded as an economic resource. In addition to meeting domestic market demand, a large number of products are also exported to Hong Kong every year, with the quantity measured in tons. This situation has led to a sharp decline in the population of the mountain soft-shell turtle, which is characterized by slow growth and weak fecundity. Therefore, it is listed as a second-level protected animal in China.

3. Four-clawed tortoise

The four-clawed tortoise, also known as the prairie tortoise, is mainly distributed in Huocheng County, Xinjiang, China, in the desert area of the front mountain of the Aklas Mountains, a branch of the Tianshan Mountains. This kind of turtle has a habit of hiding in caves and going out during the day. It eats fruits and vegetables, lizards, beetles, etc. and moves quickly. The four-clawed tortoise is listed as a first-level protected animal in China.

According to statistics from the Xinjiang Four-clawed Tortoise Sanctuary in 2000, there are less than 2,000 existing tortoises in China, of which there are about 295 four-clawed tortoises living in the wild and about 1,500 tortoises in artificial breeding sites. . However, the number of tortoises continues to decrease.

4. Turtle（yuán）

The turtle, belonging to the family Turtleidae, is characterized by its large size and can weigh up to 100 kilograms. It is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. They mainly inhabit rivers and lakes, and are good at walking through mud and sand, feeding on aquatic animals. The turtle was once widely distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other provinces and regions in China. The turtle is considered an auspicious animal, so it can often be seen in the release ponds of ancient temples.

However, since the 1970s, the population of turtles has declined sharply. Only a few individuals have been found in a few areas such as Oujiang in Zhejiang, Suijiang in Guangdong, and Lancangjiang in Yunnan. The turtles have been basically extinct in other areas. It is estimated that the total number of turtles in the country is less than 200, so it is listed as a world endangered protected animal (CITES Appendix II level) and a first-level national key protected wild animal in China.

5. Maple Leaf Turtle

The maple leaf turtle, whose scientific name is the ground turtle, is also known as the black-breasted leaf turtle, twelve-sided turtle, golden turtle, etc. It is a small, semi-aquatic turtle. The front and rear edges of their carapace are strongly serrated. The maple leaf turtle was once distributed in the mountainous jungles of Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi in China, feeding on insects, plant leaves, and fruits.

However, due to the destruction of the living environment, the number of wild maple leaf turtles in China has become extremely rare. Therefore, the maple leaf turtle is listed as a second-level national key protected wild animal in China and requires special attention and protection.

6. Three-line closed-shell turtle

The golden turtle, also known as the three-line closed-shell turtle, golden-headed turtle, red-sided turtle, red-bellied turtle and broken-sided turtle, is mainly distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces in China, inhabiting mountainous streams. The golden turtle has unique economic value and has a large sales volume in the domestic market. It is also exported to Hong Kong and other places in large quantities, with the quantity calculated in tons. However, due to large-scale hunting, the number of golden turtles is decreasing year by year, and the price is also rising. If wild golden turtles are not protected in time, they will face the risk of extinction. Therefore, the golden turtle has been listed as a second-level national key protected wild animal in China.

7. Yunnan closed-shell turtle

The general shell length of the Yunnan closed-shell turtle is about 140 mm, and its appearance is very similar to the three-line closed-shell turtle. They live in the mountains of the Yunnan Plateau at an altitude of 2,000 meters to 2,260 meters, feeding on small fish, shrimps and earthworms. However, due to human greed and continuous expansion, the living environment of wild Yunnan box turtles has been seriously threatened, and its population is almost extinct. At present, it is only known that a total of 6 numbered holotype specimens are preserved in the British Museum and Shanghai Museum of Natural History.

8. Concave-armored tortoise

The concave-armored tortoise is mainly distributed in the high mountain areas of Hainan, Yunnan, Hunan and Guangxi provinces in China. Different from other tortoise species, the carapace of the concave tortoise exhibits unique characteristics. Compared with other tortoises, which are arched in an arc, each piece of the carapace of the concave-shelled tortoise is relatively independent, flat, even sunken toward the middle, and has excellent luster.

However, due to the destruction of plateau forest areas and wanton hunting by humans, the number of concave-armored tortoises in nature has become extremely rare. In order to save this population, the concave-armored tortoise has been listed as a second-level national priority in China.Protect wildlife.

9. Loggerhead turtle

Loggerhead turtles generally refer to loggerhead sea turtles. They are larger in size and have a flat body, generally weighing about 100 kilograms. Mainly distributed in China's Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, inhabiting bays, estuaries and saltwater lakes. According to statistics, records of Chinese loggerhead turtles are mainly concentrated in Fujian, with more than half of the records coming from the coastal area of Pingtan Island, Fujian.

Loggerhead turtles are considered to have important medicinal value, which makes them the target of predatory fishing and indiscriminate killing. They are also threatened by indiscriminate digging of turtle eggs. Loggerhead turtles once appeared in groups on Hainan Island, but due to human fishing and egg theft, loggerhead turtles were no longer seen in Hainan Island as early as 20 years ago. Currently, loggerhead turtles have been listed as China's second-level national key protected wild animal in an effort to protect their survival.

10. Green turtle

Green sea turtles are the largest of the hard-shell sea turtles and are named for the green fat on their bodies. They have large bodies and live mainly in water throughout their lives and feed on seaweed. In China, green sea turtles are distributed in coastal areas such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan and Guangdong, but their spawning sites are mainly located along the coasts and island areas of western Fujian and eastern Guangdong.

However, frequent fishing activities, destruction of spawning habitats and ocean pollution have seriously affected the survival rate of the green sea turtle population. If this harsh situation cannot be fundamentally improved, green sea turtles will also face the threat of extinction.

The top ten endangered turtles in China are mainly based on the list of reptiles and turtles in the China Endangered and Rare Animals List. If you have any questions, please leave comments and criticisms at the end.

animal tags： turtle tortoise