The Burmese roof turtle ( Batagur trivittata ) is undoubtedly the most smiling reptile on the planet, but its conservation status was critically endangered. In fact, it was believed to be extinct until 2002 when it was rediscovered but, fortunately, conservation efforts have successfully increased the turtle population in 2020 to 1,000 animals in captivity; some of them have been released into the wild.
After a large conservation project in Myanmar, which means that the species is a little further from total extinction.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Turtle Survival Alliance have published a series of photos with this new population of turtles, which is also collected by Zootaxa magazine.
One of its most striking features is its distinctive smiling mouth, bulging eyes, and upturned snout. The female is duller in color than the male and is also significantly larger.
Although its fate is uncertain as it is believed that only five or six females remain in the wild and perhaps a couple of males, these conservation efforts open a path of hope for this species.
The downside to this news is that not only do Burmese roof tortoises face an uncertain future, but many other species of tortoises face one of the highest extinction risks of all vertebrates. Of the 360 species of turtles that are currently known, more than half of them are considered “endangered”.
Referencia: First description of neonate Batagur trivittata (Testudines: Geoemydidae) STEVEN G. PLATT, TINT LWIN, MYO MIN WIN, KALYAR PLATT, NATHAN A. HAISLIP, PETER PAUL VAN DIJK, THOMAS R. RAINWATER Zootaxa 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4821.2.10
