Rare soft-shell turtle found
2007-05-16 10:34
Ker Munthit
Phnom Penh, Cambodia - A rare soft-shell turtle thought to be on the brink of extinction has been discovered in Cambodia in a former stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, conservationists said on Wednesday.
An 11kg female Cantor's giant turtle - known for its rubbery skin and jaws powerful enough to crush bone - was captured and released by researchers in March, US-based Conservation International and World Wildlife Fund said.
Scientists from the two groups and Cambodian wildlife officials discovered the animal and a nesting ground during a survey in Cambodia's Mekong River region.
"We thought it might be almost gone, but found it in abundance in this one pristine stretch of the Mekong, making the area the world's most important site for saving this particular species," David Emmett, a CI wildlife biologist, said.
"This incredible discovery means that a unique turtle can be saved from disappearing from our planet," he said.
The turtle is currently classified as endangered by the World Conservation Union, and continues to face threats from habitat loss and hunting.
The species can grow up to two metres in length and weigh more than 50kg. It was last spotted by scientists in the Cambodian wild in 2003. It was also found in small numbers in Laos, but appears to have disappeared from Vietnam and Thailand.
The turtle has a rubbery skin with ribs fused together to form a protective layer over its internal organs. It protects itself from predators by spending 95% of its life hidden in sand or mud with only its eyes and nose showing.
It also has long claws and can extend its neck with lightning speed to bite with jaws powerful enough to crush bone, the statement said.
"It has the fastest strike of any animal I've ever seen, including cobras," Emmett said.
The statement only said the turtle was found in a former Khmer Rouge stronghold long closed to scientific exploration because of security concerns. The communist Khmer Rouge ruled the country from 1975-1979 and their reign of terror resulted in the deaths of about 1.7 million people.
The area is "a near pristine region of tall riverine forest, waterways and island archipelagos where further exciting biological discoveries will almost certainly be made", said Mark Bezuijen of WWF's Living Mekong Programme.
- AP