Year of the Turtle News - No. 3 March 2011 - Basking in the Wonder of Turtles

Aug 27, 2026

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Year of the Turtle News No. 3 (March 2011) highlights an escalating survival crisis for turtles worldwide, emphasizing newly released findings that identify 25+ most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles. It details how illegal hunting for food and the pet trade, combined with habitat loss and fragmentation, drives rapid declines and threatens extinction in coming decades. Additional sections include expert guidance on snapping turtle nesting site fidelity and updates from turtle conservation partners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Turtles in Trouble

Ask the Experts

PARC Regional Spotlight

Freshwater Turtles

Get Your March Calendar!

Call for Photos for the 2011 Year of the Turtle Calendar Photo Contest

[www.YearoftheTurtle.org](www.YearoftheTurtle.org) Year of the Turtle News No. 3 March 2011 Basking in the Wonder of Turtles | | | --- | | | One of the last of its kind: a Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) surfaces in a lake in Vietnam. Only four individuals are known to exist. Photo by Brian D. Horne. Turtles in Trouble Turtles are in the midst of a survival crisis, and this crisis has never been greater. The world’s most endangered species have been named in a newly released report by the Turtle Conservation Coalition. The release of the “Turtles in Trouble: 25+ Endangered Tortoises and Inside: Ask the Experts Year of the Turtle Partners International Marine Turtle Conservation Program Turkey: Mediterranean Turtles South West Turtle Conservation Network (Bangladesh) Mesopotamian Softshell Turtles in Iran Catching Turtle Fever–Mexico Dr. Carl Safina on Turtles Turtle Conservation in India PARC Regional Spotlight page 2 3 5 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 Freshwater Turtles” report paintsa somber portrait for turtles of the world, and specifically for a list of the 25 most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles. These 25 turtles, along with an additional 24 species highlighted in the report, are being decimated by illegal hunting for both food and the pet trade along with habitat destruction. Many of these turtles are threatened with extinction within the next several decades if strong conservation efforts are not taken. “Turtles in Trouble” was released at a recent workshop hosted in Singapore by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Wildlife Reserves Singapore. The report was authored by the Turtle Conservation Coalition, an alliance of turtle-and conservationfocused organizations and many Year of the Turtle partners, including the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservation Fund, Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle Conservancy/Behler Chelonian Center, Chelonian Research Foundation, Conservation International, WCS, and San Diego Zoo Global. At the top of the list is the Pinta Island Tortoise ( Chelonoidis abingdonii), with only one individual male–“Lonesome George”–surviving today for this Galapagos species. Only a handful of individual turtles survive today for other species as well. For example, only four animals (three males and one female) remain for China and Vietnam’s Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) . Turtles are being impacted by a variety of major threats, and many are gradually succumbing to these threats. They are being collected, traded, and eaten or otherwise used in overwhelming numbers. Additionally, their habitats are being increasingly fragmented, destroyed, Continued on p. 6 “Behold the turtle. He makes progress when his neck is out.” —James Bryant Conant (1893-1978), educator and scientist Year of the Turtle News No. 3, March 2011, p. 2 Ask the Experts! Are Snapping Turtles “loyal” to a particular nesting site or location? Will the female return to the same nest, nest area, or side of the pond, or is nest site selection more random? I know of a nest site on a private pond from last year that was ransacked by predators. Would the turtle lay her eggs there again? Alex Bailey Biology Instructor, Natural Sciences Dept. Alamance Community College Graham, North Carolina Alex, Many species of turtles, including Snapping Turtles, exhibit a strong fidelity to previously used nesting areas. While some turtles may nest for years within inches of where they nested in prior years, others nest in the same general open-canopied area. These areas include exposed river banks, lake and pond shores, natural forest openings, or areas with thin, nutrient-poor soils where dense vegetation has difficulty becoming established. In all populations, a small percentage of the females opportunistically exploit newly created nesting habitat, whether it is created naturally or by humans. Human-created h

FAQs

What are the main threats driving turtles toward extinction according to this newsletter?

Illegal hunting for food and the pet trade, together with habitat destruction and increasing habitat fragmentation, are rapidly reducing turtle populations.

How does the report describe the severity of the turtle survival crisis?

The report presents a somber outlook by naming the most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles, many of which face extinction risks within several decades without strong conservation actions.

Do snapping turtles typically return to the same nesting site or location?

Many turtle species, including snapping turtles, show fidelity to previously used nesting areas, though some may opportunistically exploit newly created nesting habitats.

Aug 27, 2026

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