Rare Turtles Found in Vietnam Forest

Why this is here: The Phong Dien Nature Reserve protects one of Vietnam’s last lowland evergreen forest ecosystems, spanning over 40,760 hectares within the central Annamite range.

Phong Dien Nature Reserve in Vietnam’s Annamite mountains holds four rare turtle species. Researchers with the reserve’s management board recently identified the central Vietnamese flowerback box turtle, impressed tortoise, big-headed turtle, and four-eyed turtle. All four species face threats and require conservation efforts.

The central Vietnamese flowerback box turtle appears in both the 2024 Vietnam Red Data Book and the 2026 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List as critically endangered. Survey teams located this turtle at four separate locations within the 40,760-hectare reserve. Habitat loss and poaching contribute to the decline of wild turtle populations.

Reserve authorities will now include the new data in their biodiversity database. This information will assist with ongoing research, management decisions, and long-term conservation plans. The reserve also protects the saola, yellow-cheeked gibbon, and other vulnerable animals, but continued monitoring is needed to fully understand population trends.