Two geoemydid turtle species, Geoemyda spengleri and Cuora bourreti, are documented from Laos for the first time. The record of G. spengleri is based on photographs taken of a wild turtle by staff in a protected area in eastern Bolikhamxay Province, central Laos. Those of C. bourreti are based on our examinations of live turtles in the possession of a hunter and in a village in a remote area of eastern Savannakhet Province, southeastern Laos. Both localities lie near the border with Vietnam, where these species were previously known. Turtles are highly threatened in Laos from overexploitation for food and traditional medicine purposes, but the presence of G. spengleri and C. bourreti within protected areas offers hope for their persistence.
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Chelonian Conservation and Biology
Vol. 10 • No. 1
July 2011
Vol. 10 • No. 1
July 2011