How many Yangtze giant softshell turtles are left 2020?
The Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle is native to China and Vietnam. There are only five known living individuals, three of which are males in captivity, and the two in Vietnam that are in the wild. The species is now functionally extinct, unless a female in the wild is located and successfully bred.
Is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle extinct in 2021?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, but may be virtually extinct in the wild. It is listed on CITES Appendix II. The future of this species rests on the success of the captive breeding efforts or a miraculous discovery of previously unknown populations.
What happened to the Yangtze giant softshell turtle?
It was reported dead in January 2016. On April 13, 2019, the only female turtle in Suzhou Zoo was reported dead shortly after the latest fertilization process. In 2020, another female was found in Vietnam’s Dong Mo Lake, and it is believed that another individual is also living at the lake.
When did the Yangtze giant softshell turtle go extinct?
April 13, 2019
No turtle is more critically endangered than the Yangtze giant softshell turtle – with sad news that the last known (at the time) female of the species died on April 13, 2019, only three individuals were thought to exist; two in Vietnam and one at the Suzhou Zoo in China, believed to be more than 100 years old.
What caused the Yangtze giant softshell turtle to go extinct?
After decades of dams, overhunting and pollution the Yangtze giant softshell turtle is down to three known individuals. But conservationists say if they can just locate a male and female, survival for the world’s biggest freshwater turtle is still possible.
Why is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle important?
Published: Wednesday 04 August 2021. Like many turtle species, Swinhoe’s softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) has for centuries held special cultural significance in Vietnam. For the people of the country, the Hoan Kiem turtle, as it is known locally, is a symbol of Vietnam’s independence and prosperity.
What is the biggest softshell turtle ever caught?
It’s not difficult to imagine him as a younger man, catching and killing the world’s biggest non-marine turtle, weighing upward of 200 kilograms (440 pounds) — now perhaps the most endangered animal on the planet. The Yangtze giant softshell turtle. Photo by Gerald Kuchling.
Is the softshell turtle extinct?
Vulnerable (Population decreasing)Chinese softshell turtle / Conservation status
How big can a softshell turtle get?
An adult female’s carapace can be anywhere from 7 to 19 inches (18 to 48 centimeters) in length, while the male’s is much smaller at 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) in length. The turtle’s nose is long and piglike, and its feet are fully webbed.
How big is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle?
39 inches by 28 inches
Yangtze giant softshell turtles, also called red river turtles, are the largest freshwater turtle species in the world. They can grow to over 39 inches by 28 inches and weigh up to 275 pounds.
What is a Yangtze giant softshell turtle?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle ( Rafetus swinhoei; simplified Chinese: 斑鳖; traditional Chinese: 斑鱉; pinyin: bānbiē ), also known as the Red River giant softshell turtle, the Shanghai softshell turtle, the speckled softshell turtle, and Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, is an extremely rare species of turtle in the family Trionychidae.
Where does the Yangtze turtle live?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle has been known to inhabit the Yangtze River and Lake Tai, situated on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, in eastern China, and Gejiu, Yuanyang, Jianshui and Honghe in Yunnan Province in southern China.
Where do giant softshell turtles live in the world?
Yangtze giant softshell turtle habitat Naturally, their habitat was restricted to the Yangtzé and Red rivers, between China and Vietnam. However, it’s believed that it could also live in some swamps in the area, which hasn’t yet been confirmed.
What do Yangtze turtles eat?
Yangtze giant softshell turtles are the largest known freshwater turtle in the world. 2.) These omnivores (eat plant and animal matter) prey on crabs, snails, fish, and frogs. They also eat green rice leaves and water hyacinth.