Contact: John Delaney
jdelaney@wcs.org
718-220-3275
Wildlife Conservation Society

Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle

Caption: One of the last of its kind: a Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) surfaces in a lake in Vietnam. Once occurring in the river basins of China and Vietnam, the turtle (which can weigh up to 250 pounds) has been decimated as a result of wetland destruction, and water pollution, and poaching. Only four individuals are known to exist.

Credit: Brian D. Horne/Wildlife Conservation Society

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