Food chain
Asian tortoises and turtles feed on:
- Grasses
- Leaves
- Fruit
- Insects
- Crustaceans
Predators of tortoises and turtles include:
- Humans
- Eggs and hatchlings are vulnerable to predators
Survival threatened by illegal trade
Diet
Turtles and tortoises move too slowly to pursue active prey. Tortoises are mostly herbivores, although some species will also eat carrion. They feed on grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits. Freshwater turtles eat insects and aquatic larvae, crustaceans and aquatic vegetation.
Reproduction
Most Asian turtles and tortoises dig themselves nests in mud or sand to lay their eggs. The hatchlings are born with a tooth egg to help them break out of the shell which is shed shortly afterwards. Most species do not care for their young, leaving the eggs and hatchlings vulnerable to predators.
Threats
Local people in southern Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh have traditionally collected local tortoise and turtle species for food. However, higher demand, particlularly over the last decade has led to greater exploitation of this species, leading many close to extinction.
Despite laws and regulations aimed at protecting turtles and tortoises, illegal trade in meat and shells continues to flourish. Many end up in markets destined for import to China, Hong Kong and Japan where there is demand for meat and turtle parts for use in traditional Chinese medicine. There is also demand from the pet trade, where the rarest species attract the highest prices.
Restrictions on the sale of these endangered species are openly flouted, and the market continues to grow.
Loss of habitat through conversion to agriculture and wildfires have also had a detrimental effect on many populations.
