Freshwater Turtles Conservation in Hong Kong and South China  

The Historical Nexus Between Turtles and Human Society

Long before the evolution of mammals and birds, turtles were already among most ancient animals in the world. Throughout history, they have consistently featured in the myths and legends of diverse cultures worldwide. While details of the myths differ, the turtle invariably assumes as a sacred creature that holds up the Earth or is depicted as ‘world turtle’ or the ‘cosmic turtle’.

In ancient China, the turtle became integrated into the socio-political and economic systems. For example, the oracle bone script embodied mysticism and divination. During the Han dynasty, turtles were emblems of wealth, even serving as currency. The Tang dynasty administrative system employed official seals with turtles, signifying authority and social status. However, the turtle's cultural application and symbolic meaning evolved significantly over time. By the Ming dynasty, the turtle began to acquire negative connotations. Its symbolism transitioned from associations with the ‘mystical,’ ‘power,’ and ‘auspicious longevity’ to traits like ‘cowardice’ and ‘slowness.’ This shift influenced colloquial language, evident in terms like ‘sok tau wu gwai’ (literally ‘turtle retracting its head into its shell’, metaphorically describing extreme avoidance behavior).

This transformation in the turtle's symbolic significance reflects, to some extent, broader shifts in societal values. While the precise impact of this symbolic shift on human attitudes towards turtles remains difficult to quantify, it is unequivocal that continuous habitat loss and excessive human exploitation have precipitated a dramatic decline in global turtle populations. China, home to 35 turtle species and ranking as one of the most turtle-rich nations, faces a dire situation: all its native species are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered on the country’s Species Red List. Globally, the outlook is equally grave. Nearly half of all turtle species are listed as threatened species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with some already extinct. Consequently, turtles have become one of the most endangered vertebrate groups on Earth.

Hong Kong’s Native Freshwater Turtles and Their Status

Hong Kong has five native freshwater turtle species. All are legally protected under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170), which prohibits hunting, possession or sale without a special permit. Despite their protected status, these animals’ survival in the wild remains challenging.

¹Or, C.K.M. & Chan, B.P.L. (Eds.) (2025). The State of Hong Kong’s Biodiversity 2025. WWF-Hong Kong. 65 pp.

²Chinese Academy of Sciences. (2023). Red List of China’s Vertebrates. (Accessed on 9 Jul 2025)

³International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. (Accessed on 9 July 2025)

⁴Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). (2025). Appendices. (Accessed on 9 July 2025)

⁵China has included the species in Appendix III as it is legally protected within its jurisdiction, and therefore requests the cooperation of other Contracting Parties in controlling international trade.

Big-headed Turtle Platysternon megacephalum

• Taxonomy: Family Platysternidae, genus Platysternon
• Characteristics of adult: Large head with thick and long tail; neither can be retracted into the carapace. The upper jaw is hooked like an eagle’s beak. The body is very flat, and the limbs and claws are muscular and well-developed. Adults have a carapace length up to about 25 cm.
• Characteristics of juvenile: Bright orange-red plastron with distinct black spots. There are gold and black stripes behind the eyes. These vivid colours fade as the turtle matures.
• Diet: Mainly fish, freshwater crustaceans, mollusks and insects; also eats fruits and seeds.
• Habitat: Found in fast-flowing mountain streams. It lives among rocks and deep pools in upland rivers, preferring cool, swift waters.

Beale’s Turtle Sacalia bealei

• Characteristics of adult: The carapace is brown and marked with two pairs of conspicuous eye-like spots behind the head – a defensive mimicry to confuse predators. Males have a dark brown to black head, with many small black spots on the head and at the edges of the plastron, and red stripes on the neck and forelimbs. Females have a lighter brown head and neck with yellow stripes on the neck. Adults reach a carapace length of about 18 cm.
• Characteristics of juvenile: Bright yellow eyespots behind their eyes; these spots gradually turn brown as they age.
• Diet: Omnivorous. They eat fish, freshwater crustaceans, frogs, and both terrestrial and aquatic insects, and will also consume fruits and seeds.
• Habitat: Lives in montane habitat and prefers clear, slow-flowing streams.

Reeves’ Turtle Mauremys reevesii

Characteristics of adult: The carapace is brown with three distinct keels along its length. Irregular yellow stripes run along the sides of the body and neck. Males are smaller-bodied with longer tails, and their shells darken to black with age; females are larger with shorter tails. Adults can reach about 30 cm in carapace length.   Diet: Omnivorous. They eat fish, freshwater crustaceans, frogs, and a variety of insects (both land and water) – and also fruits and various algae.   Habitat: Inhabits in slow-flowing lowland water bodies like ponds, marshes, and estuaries.

Golden Coin Turtle Cuora trifasciata

Characteristics of adult: The carapace is brown with three dark keels; the middle keel is especially prominent. The plastron consists of two halves connected by a ligament, forming a hinge. This allows the turtle to draw in its head, tail and limbs and shut the shell completely for defense. The top of the head and sides of the neck are yellow, and there are black band-like stripes along the sides of the head and around the eyes. Adults can reach a carapace length of about 30 cm.   Diet: Omnivorous. They feed on fish, earthworms, freshwater crustaceans, insects, and aquatic vegetation.   Habitat: Found in mountain streams near broadleaf or secondary forests   Cultural symbolism and misconceptions: The golden colours on its shell have made this turtle a traditional symbol of wealth and good fortune. Folk beliefs claim that its plastron (known as ‘gwai ban’ in traditional medicine) can cure all diseases or even cancer (claims that lack scientific support). It has been used in traditional turtle-jelly medicine. Such beliefs have led to heavy hunting and illegal trade, severely impacting its wild populations.

Chinese Soft-shelled Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis

Characteristics of adult: The body is flat and oval, covered by soft, leathery skin rather than hard scutes. The neck and snout are relatively long, which helps the turtle feed, flip itself, and breathe while mostly submerged. The forelimbs have webbed toes and claws for digging in mud. This is the largest native freshwater turtle in Hong Kong; adults often exceed 33 cm in total length.   Diet: Omnivorous. They eat aquatic plants, fish, frogs, freshwater crustaceans, mollusks and insects.   Habitat: Inhabits still or slow-moving, muddy-bottomed waters. Common habitats include ponds, marshes, reservoirs, and the lowland rivers.

Threats to Hong Kong's Freshwater Turtles

Hong Kong's freshwater turtles are facing severe multiple threats that have caused a sharp decline in wild populations, pushing some species to the brink of global extinction. The primary threat comes from poaching, driven by increasing demand for pets, bushmeat, and traditional Chinese medicine, which has led to rampant poaching in the wild. Between 2011 and 2020, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) seized over 1,000 turtle traps from local streams, demonstrating the severity of illegal hunting.

Another major threat comes from invasive species. Red-eared sliders (also known as Brazilian turtles), native to the Americas, has spread across Hong Kong's freshwater habitats after being released as abandon pets or for religious purposes. Their strong survival and reproductive abilities have made it difficult for native freshwater turtles to compete for habitat and food resources.

Additionally, habitat degradation poses a critical threat. Native freshwater turtles depend on clean streams, ponds, and pools for survival, but pollution from sewage, household waste, and construction debris has severely degraded water quality. This pollution has decimated aquatic organisms that serve as the turtles' food source. These combined threats have led to a drastic decline in Hong Kong's wild freshwater turtle populations.

Turtle Conservation Work by KFBG

Due to the severe threats to freshwater turtles and the lacking of targeted conservation measures in many areas, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) has been dedicated to the conservation of freshwater turtle species in Hong Kong and South China for over two decades, launching a series of conservation projects.

Big-headed Turtle Conservation

To further strengthen the protection of the critically endangered Big-headed turtle in Hong Kong and wider Southern China, KFBG launched a conservation project aimed at monitoring their wild populations and promoting freshwater turtle conservation. The project involved micro-chipping wild individuals and identifying poaching activities. This not only enhances the protection of the species, but also enables conducting a basic ecological study, collectively contributing to the sustainable conservation of this species at high risk of extinction.

Golden Coin Turtle Conservation

Since 2001, KFBG has been working with the AFCD to implement a conservation program to safeguard Golden Coin Turtle, aiming to protect its habitat and the few remaining fragmented populations in Hong Kong. An ex-situ breeding program has been initiated to build an assurance colony and increase the local turtle populations through future releases.

In preparation for future release plans, KFBG has collaborated with various stakeholders to identify and monitor the important sites for future release. They have also developed a Disease Risk Analysis protocol to minimise the risk of accidentally introducing diseases to existing wild populations and to develop an effective release plan.

Illegal Trade Rescue

In 2025, KFBG’s Wild Animal Rescue Centre marks its 31st year of operation. Over the past three decades, KFBG has managed a substantial number of confiscated turtles. These individuals were primarily seized due to illegal importation into Hong Kong or unauthorized possession by local residents. Following confiscation by the AFCD, the turtles were transferred to KFBG for comprehensive health assessments and interim husbandry.

During the period of investigation and legal proceedings conducted by the relevant authorities, KFBG provides confiscated animals with thorough health evaluations, appropriate veterinary treatment, and species-specific husbandry in captive environment. Upon the formal resolution of each case, efforts are made to identify secure and appropriate long-term solutions for the animals. Depending on individual circumstances, some turtles are repatriated to their native habitats, while others are transferred to accredited conservation institutions for permanent care.

In 2018, a total of 60 Ryukyu Black-breasted Leaf Turtles (Geoemyda japonica), a species designated as a national treasure in Japan, were intercepted at Hong Kong International Airport in a case of illegal wildlife trafficking. Following confiscation by the AFCD, the turtles were temporarily housed at KFBG for health assessment and interim care. Subsequently, KFBG liaised with the relevant authorities in the Japanese government, and with support from the CITES management authorities, successfully repatriated the turtles to Japan in March of the same year.

In addition to the conservation work in Hong Kong, the Kadoorie Conservation China (KCC) programme of KFBG collaborates with conservation institutions across mainland China to implement targeted conservation initiatives.

Conserving the critically endangered Yunnan Box Turtle

Yunnan Box Turtle Cuora yunnanensis Taxonomy: Family Geoemydidae, genus Cuora IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered (CR) CITES Appendices: II Redlist of China's Biodiversity: Critically Endangered (CR)

The Yunnan Box Turtle was first discovered in China's Yunnan Province in 1906. This rare species is now protected under specific national and international regulations. Tragically, due to over-harvesting, it was once believed to be globally extinct, and its known habitats have suffered from development pressures. In 2004, hope emerged when a live specimen was reportedly found in a local market. This discovery prompted a collaborative conservation programme between KCC and the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. After three years of dedicated efforts, researchers successfully identified a small wild population of Yunnan Box Turtles in 2008.

To save this rare, Yunnan-endemic turtle from a ‘second extinction’, KCC conducted field research, habitat protection, and ex situ breeding programs for future reintroduction. These efforts involve facilitating the setup of a protected area for the species, preparing a studbook on the whole captive population based on results of a genetic study, raising publicity and awareness in government, academic and public circles, and securing governmental support to safeguard both known habitats and potential distribution areas.

Freshwater turtles Baseline Monitoring in Hainan

With funding support from the Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF), KCC collaborated with local reserve staff in 2011 to conduct a freshwater turtle diversity survey in Yinggeling Nature Reserve, Hainan Island. Using a combination of field surveys and interviews surveys, the study revealed that Yinggeling harbors a rich diversity of freshwater turtle species. However, due to anthropogenic pressures such as poaching and habitat degradation, local turtle populations have been severely depleted. The findings helped identify key conservation zones for turtles, where regular patrols were subsequently established to combat poaching activities.

Basic Turtle Features

• They do not have teeth; instead, they possess horny beaks like birds to bite and break up food.
• They do not have vocal cords, but they can still make sounds like ‘hissing’ and ‘grunting’.
• The shell contains nerve endings, which is why turtles can feel pain through their shell. The ‘scutes’ which are made of the same materials as our fingernails (keratin) and provide protective armour on hard-shelled turtles.
• They have a strong sense of smell, and often communicate through scent.
• They have good eye-sight that senses the colours red and orange.
• Turtles do not have outer ears, but they have internal ears that are covered beneath a scaly membrane behind the eyes.
• The shell is made up of about 50-60 different bones. The upper section of the shell is called the carapace, which is attached to the spine and the lower section is called the plastron.

What Can We Do?

• Do not buy wild-caught turtles or any related products; adopt instead to eliminate market incentives for poaching.
• Do not release exotic turtles to prevent competition with native freshwater turtles
• Avoid polluting waterways and, whenever possible, organise or participate in river-cleaning initiatives to secure clean, safe habitats for freshwater turtles.
• Report illegal turtle traps and poaching to the AFCD at 1823
• Donate to and/or volunteer with accredited conservation organisations to advance turtle-protection efforts.