The nearly 16kg turtle in Nghe An is a rare species listed in the Red Book.

(Baonghean.vn) - Last September, people in Thanh Chuong district twice caught a strange turtle, weighing about 16 kg. However, it is likely that it was only a single individual.

Previously, on September 3, 2017, Mr. Nguyen Lam Son (residing in Hamlet 13, Thanh Ha Commune, Thanh Chuong District) suddenly discovered a large turtle along the roadside. He then caught it and brought it home, and the next day released it at a temple near his house.

On September 22, 2017, people in Minh Duong hamlet, Thanh Tung commune, caught another turtle with similar appearance and weight. It is likely that this is the turtle that Mr. Son had released earlier.

Strange turtle appeared in Minh Duong hamlet, Thanh Tung and was kept by locals. Photo: Anh The

People were very curious and came to see. Such a strange and large turtle had never appeared in the area.The villagers planned to release the turtle into the Lam River, about 500m from the village, but were afraid that the turtle would be caught and could be in danger, so they discussed with the local authorities, invited the forest rangers to receive and send the "old turtle" back to Pu Mat National Forest, Con Cuong, Nghe An.

On September 28, 2017, representatives of Thanh Chuong District Forest Protection Department and Pu Mat National Park staff worked with Minh Duong hamlet residents and Thanh Tung commune authorities to receive the "old turtle" back to Pu Mat forest.

Through direct observation and documentary images, documents on identification methods of 26 turtle species in Vietnam by the Center for Nature Education (ENV), this "old turtle" is a toothed turtle, with the scientific name Heosemys annandalii, a turtle species in the family Emydidae (swamp turtles). This species was first scientifically described by Boulenger in 1903. They are a large turtle species originating from Southeast Asia. These turtles live in aquatic environments and can grow to over 51 cm in size, and can weigh up to over 20 kg.

Image of the "old turtle" before being brought to Pu Mat forest by the officials (tooth-shaped jaw, characteristic of the toothed turtle species). Photo: Anh The

This species is listed in the World Red List (IUCN) as Endangered (EN) when it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the very near future. And belongs to group II according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

In the Vietnam Red Book, the toothed turtle is ranked at level V (Vulnerable)., that is, it will be dangerous(may be threatened with extinction). Although they are in the Red Book, they can be bred in some places.

The toothed turtle is a hard-shelled freshwater turtle that lives in canals, ponds, swamps, and even rice fields where the water flows slowly. When teased, the turtle often reacts by flashing its tooth-shaped beak to scare it. Its main food is aquatic plants, but in captivity it also eats fruits and vegetables.

The turtles lay eggs around December and each litter lays 4 calcareous eggs. The number of toothed turtles in the wild has decreased significantly, estimated at over 50% due to hunting, trade and the decline in habitat quality due to environmental pollution such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers, etc.

Their main distribution is in the Mekong Delta, this turtle species also exists in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, the appearance of the "old turtle" in Nghe An is strange, however it is possible that during the process of transporting, trading wild animals, they escaped, or were released by someone./.

Mr. The