CR

Yellow-headed Box Turtle

Cuora aurocapitata

Unknown

Overview

The yellow-headed box turtle or golden-headed box turtle is a proposed species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of Pan's box turtle.

The Golden-headed Box Turtle faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive collection for the traditional medicine trade and food markets across Asia. Habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development has fragmented remaining populations in its native range. The species' slow reproductive rate and late sexual maturity make recovery extremely difficult once populations are depleted.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits subtropical forests, woodland areas, and adjacent agricultural landscapes in southern China and northern Vietnam. It prefers areas with dense vegetation cover near water sources including streams, ponds, and wetland margins.

Other threatened species in GEOEMYDIDAE

Burmese Roofed TurtleCR

Burmese Roofed Turtle

Batagur trivittata

Declining
VU

Rhinoclemmys nasuta

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Yellow-headed Temple TurtleCR

Yellow-headed Temple Turtle

Heosemys annandalii

Declining
Tricarinate Hill TurtleEN

Tricarinate Hill Turtle

Melanochelys tricarinata

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Yellow-headed Box Turtle classified as Critically Endangered?
Yellow-headed Box Turtle 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 Golden-headed Box Turtle faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive collection for the traditional medicine trade and food markets across Asia. Habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development has fragmented remaining populations in its native range. The species' slow reproductive rate and late sexual maturity make recovery extremely difficult once populations are depleted.
Where does Yellow-headed Box Turtle live?
Yellow-headed Box Turtle occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Yellow-headed Box Turtle?
The main threats to Yellow-headed Box Turtle are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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