News
Lahore Airport Seizes 200 Rare Turtles Smuggled from Thailand
(CTN News) – The Punjab Wildlife Department made a breakthrough when it seized 200 unique turtles trafficked from Thailand at Lahore Airport.
Authorities acted quickly after receiving a tip to stop the unlawful shipment of turtles.
Lahore Airport Seizes 200 Rare Turtles Smuggled from Thailand
These rare turtles, carefully wrapped in groups of 100, were bound for Pakistan from Thailand. After obtaining intelligence regarding the smuggling attempt, the Wildlife Department promptly coordinated measures to catch the culprits and protect the endangered species.
Following the successful rescue of the smuggled turtles, the department has launched legal actions and written to Customs officials requesting the formal return of the confiscated species.
Turtle and tortoise species of Thailand
Please be aware that some of the species listed below may be extinct or no longer found in Thailand.
The range maps for the species given below may be inaccurate and incomplete. Our work is not entirely scientific, but we do our best to check the facts we collect with top local specialists.
Turtles (Order: Testudines)
Total 34 species
Sea and leatherback turtles
- Caretta caretta, Loggerhead sea turtle
- Chelonia mydas, Green sea turtle
- Dermochelys coriacea, Leatherback sea turtle
- Eretmochelys imbricata, Hawksbill sea turtle
- Lepidochelys olivacea, Olive ridley sea turtle
Platysternidae
- Platysternon megacephalum, Big-headed turtle
Softshell turtles
- Amyda ornata, Southeast Asian softshell turtle
- Chitra chitra, Nutaphand’s narrow-headed softshell turtle
- Chitra vandijki, Burmese narrow-headed softshell turtle
- Dogania subplana, Malayan softshell turtle
- Lissemys scutata, Burmese flapshell turtle
- Nilssonia formosa, Burmese peacock softshell
- Pelochelys cantorii, Asian Giant softshell turtle
- Pelodiscus sinensis, Chinese softshell turtle
Freshwater pond turtles
Mangrove terrapins (Genus: Batagur)
- Batagur affinis, Southern river terrapin
- Batagur baska, Northern river terrapin
- Batagur borneoensis, Painted terrapin
Southeast Asian box turtles (Genus: Cuora)
- Cuora amboinensis, Amboina box turtle
- Cuora mouhotii, Keeled box turtle
Asian leaf turtles (Genus: Cyclemys)
- Cyclemys atripons, Western black-bridged leaf turtle
- Cyclemys dentata, Asian leaf turtle
- Cyclemys enigmatica, Enigmatic leaf turtle
- Cyclemys oldhamii, Oldham’s leaf turtle
Asian pond turtles (Genus: Heosemys)
- Heosemys annandalii, Yellow-headed temple turtle
- Heosemys grandis, Giant Asian pond turtle
- Heosemys spinosa, Spiny turtle
Snail-eating turtles (Genus: Malayemys)
- Malayemys khoratensis, Khorat snail-eating turtle
- Malayemys macrocephala, Malayan snail-eating turtle
- Malayemys subtrijuga, Mekong snail-eating turtle
Flat-shelled turtle (Genus: Notochelys)
- Notochelys platynota, Malayan flat-shelled turtle
Pond turtles (Genus: Siebenrockiella)
- Siebenrockiella crassicollis, Black marsh turtle
Tortoises
Asian elongated tortoises (Genus: Indotestudo)
- Indotestudo elongata, Elongated tortoise
Asian tortoises (Genus: Manouria)
- Manouria emys, Brown tortoise
- Manouria impressa, Impressed tortoise
