Arakan Forest Turtle
Encyclopedia
The Arakan forest turtle (Heosemys depressa) is an extremely rare turtle
species which lives only in the Arakan hills of western Myanmar
.
The Arakan Forest Turtle was believed extinct (last seen in 1908), but in 1994 was rediscovered when a few specimens turned up in Asian food markets. Like most Asian turtles, it is collected yearly as a food source or for "medical cures." Only a handful of these conservation reliant
turtles are in captivity, and their status in the wild, which is dubious at best, is listed as critical
.
"The animals seem to be extremely difficult to establish in captivity," said Peter Paul van Dijk, director of the tortoise and freshwater turtle program for Conservation International. There are only 14 Arakan Forest Turtles in Association of Zoos and Aquariums
accredited institutions in the United States—at Zoo Atlanta, the St. Louis Zoo, the Miami Metro Zoo, River Banks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, and Knoxville Zoo.
In May 2007, Zoo Atlanta, the only Arakan Forest turtle breeding facility in the world, announced the successful hatching of their fourth hatchling to have been born there in the last six years. They also announced that there is another egg near hatching, and two additional hatchlings did not survive. Arakan Forest turtles only mate once a year, and the eggs take 100 days to hatch.
In 2009, scientists discovered wild Arakan Forest Turtles for the first time in history in an elephant sanctuary in Myanmar
.
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
species which lives only in the Arakan hills of western Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
.
The Arakan Forest Turtle was believed extinct (last seen in 1908), but in 1994 was rediscovered when a few specimens turned up in Asian food markets. Like most Asian turtles, it is collected yearly as a food source or for "medical cures." Only a handful of these conservation reliant
Conservation reliant species
Conservation reliant species are endangered or threatened animal or plant species that require continuing species specific wildlife management intervention such as predator control, habitat management and parasite control to survive even when self-sustaining population recovery goals are...
turtles are in captivity, and their status in the wild, which is dubious at best, is listed as critical
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
"The animals seem to be extremely difficult to establish in captivity," said Peter Paul van Dijk, director of the tortoise and freshwater turtle program for Conservation International. There are only 14 Arakan Forest Turtles in Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
accredited institutions in the United States—at Zoo Atlanta, the St. Louis Zoo, the Miami Metro Zoo, River Banks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, and Knoxville Zoo.
In May 2007, Zoo Atlanta, the only Arakan Forest turtle breeding facility in the world, announced the successful hatching of their fourth hatchling to have been born there in the last six years. They also announced that there is another egg near hatching, and two additional hatchlings did not survive. Arakan Forest turtles only mate once a year, and the eggs take 100 days to hatch.
In 2009, scientists discovered wild Arakan Forest Turtles for the first time in history in an elephant sanctuary in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
.
Sources
- Arakan Forest Turtle. St. Louis Zoo. no date. Accessed May 1, 2007.
- Arakan forest turtle (Heosemys depressa). ARKive. no date. Accessed May 1, 2007.
- "Zoo Hatches Endangered Asian Turtle." CNN. May 1, 2007. Accessed May 1, 2007.