The black-breasted leaf turtle, Geoemyda spengleri (Geoemydidae), is a very small (carapace length to 107 mm), primarily terrestrial leaf litter turtle that occurs in southern China and northern Vietnam. Few data are available regarding its life history or population status. The species prefers montane forest habitat and apparently rarely enters water. Clutch size in captivity is 1–2 eggs that measure 42–45 x 18 mm, with hatchlings ca. 30 mm in carapace length. Many individuals have been exported from both China and Vietnam via the live pet trade, and this trade appears to have reduced populations of the species. For adequate conservation and management of this species it is necessary to delineate the distribution, life history, and status of each population on the basis of reliable field data.

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Despite being first described as long ago as 1789, surprisingly little has been documented on this turtle's natural history in the wild (7). In captivity, three single-egg clutches have been reported, laid with 38-day intervals. Incubation took 66 to 73 days at 25 to 30°C (5). The diet is thought to include snails, slugs, earthworms and other forest floor invertebrates (8), although some captive individuals apparently also feed on fruit and vegetables (5).

This small turtle is easily recognised by its flattened carapace that is distinctively serrated at the front and back, and by the yellow-edged, dark-brown to black plastron for which it earns its common name (4). There are also three prominent keels protruding down the length of the carapace (5), which varies considerably in colour from orange-yellow or tan to a rich chestnut or mahogany brown, to a rather drab olive (4) (6) (7). The olive to dark brown head is characterised by faint yellow markings near the eye and along the neck, and additional pale-coloured speckling may appear on the sides of the head and jaws (4) (5). The rest of the skin is greyish brown, often dappled with tan, olive or orange colouring (6). Perhaps one of the most striking and conspicuous features of this unusual turtle, however, are the large and protuberant eyes with white irises, that give an alert expression (6) (7).

Continent: Asia
Distribution: S China (from Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Guangdong, Hainan Island), Vietnam, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo)  
Type locality: unknown (fide KING & BURKE 1989)

China, Vietnam. Distributed in southeastern China, including Hainan Island, and northern Vietnam.          

Distribution of Geoemyda spengleri in China and Vietnam. Red points = museum and literature occurrence records based on Iverson (1992) plus more recent and authors’ data; green shading = projected distribution based on GIS-defined hydrologic unit compartments (HUCs) constructed around verified localities and then adding HUCs that connect known point localities in the same watershed or physiographic region, and similar habitats and elevations as verified HUCs (Buhlmann et al. 2009), and adjusted based on authors’ data.

 

The black-breasted leaf turtle is native to the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam and southern China (8).

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

This terrestrial species is typically found in leaf litter on the forest floor, although it will occasionally delve into pools of water or freshwater streams (5) (8).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

IUCN 2010 Red List: Endangered (EN A1cd+2cd) (assessed 2000); CITES: Appendix III (China).

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1) and listed on Appendix III of CITES in China (3).

Major Threats

Like most Asian turtle species, the black-breasted leaf turtle is in grave danger of extinction due to over-collection from the wild for the food, medicine and pet trade. Turtles are highly prized for food and traditional 'medicinal' purposes, and are ubiquitous in Asian food markets (9). Importation to the U.S. for the pet trade began in the 1980s, and most specimens found in pet stores today are still freshly imported from Asia (6), although there is now substantial breeding of the species in China, and some of the young exported into the global pet trade may come from farms (2). Nevertheless, before reaching their destination, many of these turtles have had to endure poor conditions in food markets, and are malnourished or develop pneumonia, mouth sores or other illnesses, and almost all will have parasites, from which many die (6). Another important factor in this species' decline is forest loss and degradation from clearance for agriculture and uncontrolled wildfires (2). Thus, the high mortality rate amongst wild-caught leaf turtles, combined with unsustainable rates of harvesting from the wild, limited use of captive breeding and farming, and ongoing habitat loss has led to a serious decline in population numbers and left this enigmatic turtle clinging to a precarious existence (9).

Conservation Actions

Substantial advances are being made in management and captive breeding of this turtle, particularly in central Europe and the U.S., and captive breeding meets most of the serious hobbyist demand. However, it remains cheaper to import animals for a few dollars/euros than to obtain captive-bred animals, so the cheap pet imports continue, and continue to be bought by impulse buyers (2). This pet market, combined with habitat loss and the ongoing demand for turtles in the Asian food markets, mean the outlook for the black-breasted leaf turtle, and most Asian turtle species, remains grim (9).