MEET AMERICAS SMALLEST AND RAREST TURTLE The Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus depressus) is the smallest and rarest turtle species in the United States. Adults are less than 10 cm (4…

THE COUNTRY Turkey THE HISTORY OF THE SUBSPECIES During collecting expeditions in southern Turkey in 1966 and 1972, Josef Eiselt, then custodian of the Natural History Museum in Vienna, collected four…

THE COUNTRY Hong Kong, China THE ANIMAL Cuora trifasciata, the three-striped box turtles, also known as the “golden coin turtle” in China, This turtle has a long history in Chinese…

support this project THE COUNTRY Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Bahia de Banderas THE ANIMAL Described only in 2018 (Lopez-Luna et al. 2018), the Vallarta Mud Turtle is the world’s smallest turtle…

SUMMARY In Hinduism, Buddhism and in Islam, various species of turtles are reared in temple ponds and are sometimes even worshipped. These temples are visited by a large portion of…

SUMMARY The Lake Pátzcuaro salamander (Ambystoma dumerilii) is a highly endangered salamander species that is endemic only to Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico. This lake is located at 1920 meters (6300…

SUMMARY More than 50% of Asian turtle species are ranked by the IUCN as Critically Endangered or Endangered,which means they are on the brink of extinction. The plight of some of…

SUMMARY Africa’s rarest turtle is an enigma. Once feared extinct, the Nubian flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans) was rediscovered in 2019 after more than two decades without a confirmed sighting. With…

SUMMARY The Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska) is one of the world’s largest river turtles, reaching lengths of up to 60 cm (23.6 in). These turtles are typically olive-brown with…