A survey of turtles along the Da River in Vietnam, with insights into the Critically Endangered Rafetus swinhoei

Vietnam harbours one of Asia’s richest turtle biodiversities, yet knowledge of the distribution and abundance of Vietnamese turtles remains sparce. This study focuses on the turtle community along the Da River in northern Vietnam. Using a combination of field surveys, interviews and floating camera traps, we recorded 44 individuals across four species, showing that Pelodiscus sp. is locally by far the most abundant species, but that that the diversity of the turtle community is quite depleted. We found also the invasive Trachemys scripta elegans in the study area. Out of 90 interviewees, we obtained seven reliable reports of recent Rafetus swinhoei sightings, thus providing promising leads for conservation efforts.