Asian Giant Tortoise Manouria emys
Critically Endangered
Extant (resident): Bangladesh; India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Myanmar; Thailand
Extinct: Singapore
Asian Giant Tortoises are extinct in #Singapore and critically #endangered in #Indonesia #Malaysia #Thailand and #India due to #palmoil and #timber #deforestation and the illegal #pettrade. Support them and #Boycott4Wildlife
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The Asian Giant Tortoise exclusively inhabits evergreen forest, from lowland regions up to altitudes of about 1,000 m (typically 600-1,500 m). The animals appreciate moisture and are typically found near water and frequently burrow in damp soil (Nutphand 1979). Manouria emys is in severe decline. Based on habitat loss rates alone, half the area of suitable lowland and mid-elevation evergreen forest has been degraded and lost in the past half century throughout their range. Participants of the Singapore Red List Workshop (2018) suspected over 80% reduction in population has occurred over the past three generations (135 years) and will continue for at least another generation due to exploitation pressures and reduction in area of occupancy as a result of habitat degradation.
Further Information
Choudhury, B.C., Cota, M., McCormack, T., Platt, K., Das, I., Ahmed, M.F., Timmins, R.J., Rahman, S. & Singh, S. 2019. Manouria emys (errata version published in 2019). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T12774A152052098. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T12774A152052098.en. Downloaded on 25 January 2021.
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