Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Yunnan box turtle (Cuora yunnanensis), recorded as Critically Endangered
Yunnan box turtle (Cuora yunnanensis). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Yunnan box turtle

Cuora yunnanensis

Yunnan box turtle is a turtle in the family Geoemydidae — Cuora yunnanensis, recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Cuora yunnanensis
CITES
Appendix II
Taxonomy
Testudines · Geoemydidae · Cuora

The turtle

Yunnan box turtle is a turtle in the family Geoemydidae — Cuora yunnanensis.

Range and habitat

It is believed to be endemic to Yunnan, China (in Kunming and Huize) and was suspected to be extinct since the early 20th century. The last verified specimen was collected in 1940. In 2004, a living female appeared from the pet trade in Kunming. One year later, a male from the same source and again one year later another female were found there.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

In crisis

In 2008, Kadoorie Conservation China, a department of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, together with the Kunming Institute of Zoology and Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered a small wild population. The distribution of this species remains unclear, but due to its value, it is heavily sought after. Protection measures are needed to save this probably highly endangered species from its return onto the IUCN list of extinct animals.

CITES lists this taxon on Appendix II. Confirm the current appendix on the CITES checklist.

Yunnan box turtle is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Yunnan box turtle, Wikidata item Q301687. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Bourret's box turtle (Cuora bourreti), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Bourret's box turtle

Cuora bourreti
Photograph of Golden coin turtle (Cuora trifasciata), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Golden coin turtle

Cuora trifasciata
Photograph of Indochinese box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Indochinese box turtle

Cuora galbinifrons
Photograph of McCord's box turtle (Cuora mccordi), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

McCord's box turtle

Cuora mccordi

Quick answers

What is Yunnan box turtle?
Yunnan box turtle is a turtle in the family Geoemydidae — Cuora yunnanensis.
What is the conservation status of Yunnan box turtle?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Cuora yunnanensis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Yunnan box turtle live?
It is believed to be endemic to Yunnan, China (in Kunming and Huize) and was suspected to be extinct since the early 20th century. The last verified specimen was collected in 1940.
Why is Yunnan box turtle in crisis?
Protection measures are needed to save this probably highly endangered species from its return onto the IUCN list of extinct animals.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Cuora yunnanensis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Yunnan box turtle a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.