Tuesday 21 May
In the News: First crane egg in the western UK in four centuries

What’s the World’s Favourite Species?
Find out here.| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Testudines |
| Family | Bataguridae |
| Genus | Cuora (1) |
The Indochinese box turtle is a strikingly mottled freshwater turtle. The high-domed carapace has alternating areas of yellowish cream and dark brown stripes that radiate out from the middle of the shell (2). The chin and throat are also yellow/cream, whilst the pointed head has a short snout and is yellowish grey. As with all members of this genus there are hinges at both ends of the plastron, which enable these turtles to fully seal themselves within their shell (4). This ability has given rise to the common name of box turtle.
Indochinese box turtles are one of the most terrestrial species of box turtles, and are able to survive long periods without water (5). The warm colours and diffusing pattern of the carapace provide effective camouflage on the forest floor (5). This species is fairly shy and nervous, retreating readily into its shell when disturbed (4). Very little else is known about the ecology of wild populations.
TopThis species has a fairly small range, encompassing north Vietnam and Hainan Island, China (1).
TopInhabits bushy, upland woodland and forests found at high elevations (2).
TopClassified as Critically Endangered (CR - A1d + 2d) on the IUCN Red List 2002 (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).
TopFreshwater turtles in South East Asia face a number of threats, principally habitat alteration and human exploitation. Forests are being cleared and watercourses altered in the process of cultivating the land for human use, which is often achieved at the detriment of the turtles' natural habitat (6). Another major threat to the survival of this species comes from the pet trade; between 1989 and 94 almost 33,000 specimens of the genus Corus (Asian box turtles) were imported into the United States (6). An additional threat may come from the increasing demand for turtles for food and medicines, especially in China (6).
TopMore information is urgently needed on the distribution and behaviour of this shy box turtle. The Indochinese box turtle is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (3) but trade remains one of the key features of its decline. More data on distribution of this species is vital if a comprehensive conservation plan is to be established.
TopThis information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk
More »Related species
Image credit
© Joe McDonald/AA / gettyimages.com
Getty Images
101 Bayham Street
London
NW1 0AG
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 800 376 7981
sales@gettyimages.com
http://www.gettyimages.com
Link to this photo
Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.
Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.
Read more about
MyARKive
MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.
Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials
Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.
Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:
End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.
Additional use of flagged material
Green flagged material 
Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.
Creative commons material
Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.
Any other use
Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.
Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.