Three-striped box turtles a precious commodity in Vietnam
The price of Golden coin turtle (Cuora trifasciata or Chinese three-striped box turtle) in Vietnam is around VND300 million (nearly US$15,000) per kilo. In China and Hong Kong, the price is nearly VND1 billion (US$50,000) per kilo.
In Vietnam, this species is found in northern and central provinces such as Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai.
It lives in moist, dense forests, with an elevation of around 1,000 meters above the sea. During the day they hide under piles of rotting leaves along streams or grooves and appear at night to search for food.
The species is considered Critically Endangered with extinction by the IUCN. It is used in folk medicine, e.g. as the key ingredient for the Chinese medicinal dessert guīlínggāo; thus, it is under threat because of unsustainable hunting. This is one of the most endangered turtle species in the world, according to a 2003 assessment by IUCN.
The species was popular in Vietnam in the past but from the late 1980s, to serve high demand from China, it was nearly extinct in the wild.
The more scarce, the higher the prices for this species are, up to about VND300 million per kilo for a turtle caught in the wild and VND60 million for a kilo of breeding turtles.
In Vietnam, this species is named in group 1B, equivalent to species such as elephants, tigers, and rhinos. Those who hunt, own and trade the turtle may be criminally prosecuted.
Here are some pictures of expensive turtles:
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