Cuora yunnanensis

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Yunnan Box Turtle

Yunnan box turtle
Cuora yunnanensis

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Subfamily:	Geoemydinae
Genus:	Cuora
Species:	C. yunnanensis

Binomial name

Cuora yunnanensis
(Boulenger, 1906)

The Yunnan Box Turtle (Cuora yunnanensis) is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae (formerly Bataguridae). It might be endemic to China and was suspected to be extinct since the early 20th century; the last verified specimen was collected in 1940 (Blanck, 2005, Blanck et al. 2006) In 2004, a female 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 was found there. The validity of these specimens was doubted and many believed that they were intentionally produced hybrids (see IUCN 2006), a common technique in China to produce turtles that get high prices. In 2007, He et al. sampled the 3 living specimens and gave the genetic proof that all three living specimens are indeed Cuora yunnanensis and no hybrids. 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.

[edit] References

Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2000). Cuora yunnanensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 29 July 2007. Listed as Extinct

Blanck, T., Zhou, T. & W. P. McCord (2006): The Yunnan box turtle, Cuora yunnanensis (BOULENGER 1906); historical background and an update on the morphology, distribution and vulnerabilities of the only known living specimens. SACALIA 13 (4), 2006: 14-35

Blanck, T. (2005): Cuora yunnanensis (BOULENGER, 1906), the Yunnan Box Turtle, Rediscovered after One-hundred Years? CUORA Special - RADIATA 14 (2), 2005: 10-33

He J.,T. Zhou, Rao D.-Q. & Y.-P. Zhang.2007 Molecular identification and phylogenetic position of Cuora yunnanensis.Chinese Science Bulletin.52(17):2085-2088(in Chinese)

PARHAM, J. F., B. L. STUART, R. BOUR & U. FRITZ. 2004. Evolutionary distinctiveness of the extinct Yunnan box turtle (Cuora yunnanensis) revealed by DNA from an old museum specimen. – Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biology (Supplement), Biological Letters, London, 271: 391-394 + Electronic Appendix A, 6 pp.

ZHOU, T. & E. ZHAO (2004): On the occurrence of living Cuora yunnanensis since fifty-eight years and its description. . Sichuan J. Zool., Chengdu 23 (4): 325-327 + 1 Plate(in Chinese)

ZHOU, T. (2005): Discovery of a Living Male Yunnan Box Turtle, Cuora yunnanensis BOULENGER, 1906. .Sichuan J. Zool., Chengdu 24 (3): 345-346 + 1 Plate(in Chinese)