- Yunnan box turtle
-
Yunnan Box Turtle 
Yunnan box turtle
Cuora yunnanensisConservation status Scientific classification 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 is believed to be endemic to China (Yunnan) 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)
Female Yunnan Box Turtle
In 2004, a 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 three living specimens and gave the genetic proof that all three living specimens are indeed Cuora yunnanensis and not 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.
References
- ^ van Dijk, P.P., Blanck, T. & Lau, M. (2009). "Cuora yunnanens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/5957. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
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)
External links
External identifiers for Cuora yunnanensis EOL 795216 ITIS 551914 NCBI 176194 uBio NameBank 972168 Also found in: Wikispecies - World Chelonian Trust: Cuora Gallery. Contains C. yunnanensis museum specimen photos. Retrieved 2007-SEP-01.
Geoemydidae family of turtles Genus Species of the Geoemydidae family
Batagur Burmese roofed turtle · Northern river terrapin · Painted terrapin · Red-crowned roofed turtle · Southern river terrapin · Three-striped roofed turtleCuora Amboina box turtle · Bourret's box turtle · Ryukyu yellow-margined box turtle · Indochinese box turtle · McCord's box turtle · Keeled box turtle · Pan's box turtle · Southern Vietname box turtle · Chinese three-striped box turtle · Yellow-headed box turtle · Yellow-margined box turtle · Yunnan box turtle · Zhou's box turtleCyclemys Geoclemys Spotted pond turtleGeoemyda Black-breasted leaf turtle · Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtleHardella Crowned river turtleHeosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Malayan snail-eating turtle · Mekong snail-eating turtleMauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Assam roofed turtle · Brown roofed turtle · Indian roofed turtle · Indian tent turtleRhinoclemmys Black river turtle · Brown wood turtle · Colombian wood turtle · Furrowed wood turtle · Large-nosed wood turtle · Maracaibo wood turtle · Mexican spotted wood turtle · Painted wood turtle · Spot-legged turtleSacalia Siebenrockiella Black marsh turtle · Philippine forest turtleVijayachelys Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status. Order Testudines (turtles) Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Reptilia · Subclass: Anapsida · Order: Testudines Suborder SuperfamilySubfamily
Cryptodira Chelydra · MacrochelysCaretta · Chelonia · Eretmochelys · Lepidochelys · NatatorDermochelysDermatemydidaeDermatemysStaurotypinaeClaudius · StaurotypusBatagur · Cuora · Cyclemys · Geoclemys · Geoemyda · Hardella · Heosemys · Leucocephalon · Malayemys · Mauremys · Melanochelys · Morenia · Notochelys · Orlitia · Pangshura · Rhinoclemmys · Sacalia · Siebenrockiella · VijayachelysAldabrachelys · Astrochelys · Chelonoidis · Chersina · Cylindraspis · Geochelone · Gopherus · Homopus · Indotestudo · Kinixys · Malacochersus · Manouria · Psammobates · Pyxis · Stigmochelys · TestudoTrionychiaCarettochelyidaeCarettochelysTrionychinaePleurodira ChelidinaeChelodininaeHydromedusinaePelomedusa · PelusiosPhylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist. Extinct turtles not included.
See also List of Testudines families
Portal · 
WikiProjectCategories:- IUCN Red List critically endangered species
- Cuora
- Wildlife of Yunnan
- China stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
