Asian Giant Tortoise
CR

Asian Giant Tortoise

Manouria emys

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Asian Giant Tortoise faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive collection for the international pet trade and traditional medicine markets. Habitat destruction from logging, agricultural expansion, and palm oil plantations has fragmented remaining forest populations across Southeast Asia. Hunting pressure remains extremely high as adults are easily captured and highly valued, while nest sites are frequently raided for eggs.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits primary and secondary tropical rainforests, preferring areas with dense canopy cover and abundant leaf litter. They are found in both lowland and hill forests up to 1,000 meters elevation, requiring access to streams and seasonal flooding areas for drinking and thermoregulation.

Forest· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsLegislationPolicies and regulationsLinked enterprises & livelihood alternatives

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Asian Giant Tortoise classified as Critically Endangered?
Asian Giant Tortoise is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Asian Giant Tortoise faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive collection for the international pet trade and traditional medicine markets. Habitat destruction from logging, agricultural expansion, and palm oil plantations has fragmented remaining forest populations across Southeast Asia. Hunting pressure remains extremely high as adults are easily captured and highly valued, while nest sites are frequently raided for eggs.
Where does Asian Giant Tortoise live?
Asian Giant Tortoise occurs in Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Germany, India, and Indonesia (plus 10 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Asian Giant Tortoise?
The main threats to Asian Giant Tortoise are 2.1, 3.3, 5.1, and 5.1.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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