Meet the 17th World's Top 25 Most Endangered Turtles (2003)
Philippine Forest Turtle
Heosemys leytensis
Philippine Islands (Philippines Hotspot)
IUCN Rank: Critically Endangered
Known from only four specimens and considered one of the world’s rarest and least
known turtles, the original specimens were reported from the island of Leyte. Despite
numerous attempts to “rediscover” this species, no wild populations are known to exist.
The last specimen to reach a museum was collected on the island of Palawan in 1987, and
further research is needed to correctly determine the taxonomic position of this enigmatic
turtle.
Source: http://www.turtlesurvival.org/25TurtProfiles0503.pdf
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Critically endangered considering the demand overseas this turtle is truly hard to find in local petshops around Manila. But avid local & overseas collectors seem to get a hold of this variety anyways...hmmmm ![]()

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