Leucocephalon yuwonoi, 039
Leucocephalon yuwonoi (McCord, Iverson, and Boeadi 1995) –
Sulawesi Forest Turtle, Kura-Kura Sulawesi
Cris Hagen1, Steven G. Platt2, and Charles J. Innis3
1Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina 29802 USA [[email protected]];
2Department of Biology, Box C-64, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas 79832 USA [[email protected]];
3New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 USA [[email protected]]
Summary. – The Sulawesi forest turtle, Leucocephalon yuwonoi (Family Geoemydidae), is one of the world’s most enigmatic and poorly known turtles; there are few observations from the wild and its life history remains virtually unstudied. The species is a moderate-sized (carapace length to 278 mm), semi-aquatic omnivorous turtle, that lays one or occasionally two large eggs in each clutch. First purchased from local people in Gorontalo in northern Sulawesi during the late 1980s, large numbers appeared in the commercial turtle trade to China in the early 1990s, and the species was formally described in 1995. The species is endemic to the island of Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes), Indonesia, and believed restricted to the Central, Gorontalo, and North Sulawesi provinces. Owing to its limited geographic distribution and low fecundity, as well as extensive and unsustainable exploitation for the food and pet trade and substantial habitat loss, we regard L. yuwonoi as a species of grave international conservation concern. Unresolved husbandry problems make captive propagation problematic.
Distribution. – Indonesia. Endemic to Sulawesi, where it occurs in the northwestern portions of the island.
Synonymy. – Geoemyda yuwonoi McCord, Iverson, and Boeadi 1995, Heosemys yuwonoi, Leucocephalon yuwonoi.
Subspecies. – None recognized.
Status. – IUCN 2009 Red List: Critically Endangered (CR A1cd+2cd,C1) (assessed 2000); CITES: Appendix II.
Citation:
Hagen, C., Platt, S.G., and Innis, C.J. 2009. Leucocephalon yuwonoi (McCord, Iverson, and Boeadi 1995) – Sulawesi forest turtle, kura-kura Sulawesi. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 039.1–039.7, doi:10.3854/crm.5.039.yuwonoi.v1.2009, //iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/.