Golden Coin Turtle

Recognizable by the three dark bands running down its brown upper shell, the Golden Coin Turtle is a distinctive freshwater species. It features a yellow upper jaw with a slight hook and a matching yellow line that starts behind its mouth. Beneath, its lower shell is primarily black, framed by a yellow edge. These turtles can reach a length of 25 cm when measured in a straight line across the shell.

Today, this species is native to southern China, though it has vanished from the mainland provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Travellers looking for them in the wild must head to Hong Kong or the island of Hainan. In these environments, they consume a varied diet that includes fish, frogs, and carrion. Evidence from their droppings shows they also eat snails, crabs, and insects. While they are bred on specialized farms, captive-born individuals do not begin to reproduce until they reach 8 years of age.

Survival in the wild is precarious because the turtles are highly valued for folk medicine. They are a primary ingredient in a medicinal Chinese dessert known as guīlínggāo, leading to levels of hunting that cannot be sustained. Because gestation temperatures determine their gender, farms in warm lowlands often produce only females. This has driven the cost of wild-caught males as high as $20,000, further incentivizing illegal trade. Additionally, wild populations face genetic pollution from escaped farm hybrids.