Timothy McCormack, Doug Hendrie, and Nguyen Xuan Thuan

During 2006, a series of intensive surveys were conducted to attempt to locate remaining populations of the critically endangered Vietnamese Pond Turtle, Mauremys annamensis, a species endemic to costal areas of central Vietnam. The species is believed to be becoming increasingly rare due to the loss of suitable lowland wetland habitat to agricultural conversion of land, in addition collection for the illegal wildlife trade for traditional food and medicine. Through April and May, 397 interviews were conducted in 13 districts of Quang Nam Province where the species was historically reported as occurring with 23% of interviews providing information on the species, with eight live and a single dead specimen observed. A number of potential sites were identified where the species had apparently historically occurred and potentially persists in the wild. In November 2006 aquatic trapping was undertaken resulting in the capture of a single Mauremys annamensis confirming the species presence at the site and providing the first confirmed wild caught Mauremys annamensis in 67 years.
Asia Session: Oral

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