DD - Data Deficient

LC - Least Concern

LR - Lower Risk

VU - Vulnerable

“There is no vertebrate group facing greater survival problems today. Turtles saw the great dinosaurs come and go and are now facing their own extinction crisis.”

-John Behler

 

Make a Donation:

Make a donation to the Turtle Conservancy, of however much you can afford, to protect freshwater turtles and tortoises, and their habitats, worldwide.
 

Make Monthly Donations:

The most effective way you can help the Turtle Conservancy to continue its work around the world is through recurring donations. Please set up a direct debit and help us plan for the long-term.
 
Poachers Apprehended in Madagascar:

Conservationists and law enforcement tracked down poachers with 48 Astrochelys radiata.

 
Turtles arose more than 220 million years ago during the Triassic Period, although exactly who they are descended from and how they evolved their remarkable shell is still a matter of much scientific debate. By the late Triassic, turtles looked pretty much as they do today. Subsequently, they evolved many variations and have thrived up until the recent past - much less than an eye-blink in geologic time. In the last 30 years the majority of turtle species have become threatened, often seriously, and the group as a whole is now in serious trouble. The plight of turtles is as great or greater than any other large group of animals today.


The Turtle Conservancy, along with its conservation partners, is fighting to end this decline and in extreme cases, like the situation in Madagascar with Astrochelys yniphora, prevent extinction. The best part of being a small organization: the flexibility that comes with it. We choose to take on the conservation issues that we know we can have an effect on. Your dollars go directly to turtle and tortoise conservation and are not used for overhead. If you are interested in supporting a particular project, please note this when you make your donation - it will be used only for the specified purpose. If you are interested in starting something new or have any other great ideas, don’t hesitate to contact us!

 

It’s Official

The IUCN Red List is the official list of the conservation status of the world’s turtles and tortoises. This list is in a perpetual state of revision because new threats to turtles and tortoises are constantly appearing.


The current Red List covers 207 species of turtles and tortoise (currently scientists recognize 334 species of turtles and tortoises worldwide), but 95 are listed as needing to be updated.


Turtles in Trouble

62% of the listed turtles and tortoises are in trouble, some in serious trouble. 129 out of the 207 species listed are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.
 

EN - Endangered

CR - Critically Endangered

EX - Extinct

Year of the Turtle

Unfortunately, this version of the IUCN Red List does not include over 125 species that have not yet been evaluated. Around the globe, scientists are working away at this problem. Using the IUCN Red List process to evaluate every species of turtle and tortoise thoroughly using the latest information about threats to each.


Although much of this information has not yet been officially published, the consensus among people working in the field of turtle and tortoise biology and conservation is that the total number of species in trouble will increase. Putting turtles and tortoises at the top of the list of global conservation concerns.

 

*IUCN Red List Designations for Turtles. Version 2010.4 obtained data on November 3, 2010

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