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Wildlife Featured in this article
- Swinhoe’s softshell turtle
New portable DNA test could help detect rare turtle
Conservationists are searching for more Swinhoe’s softshell turtles—only two are known to exist in the world
Scientists have developed a new portable environmental DNA test that can detect one of the most elusive and rare turtle species in the world. Scientists only know of two Swinhoe’s softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) left in the world—one in a zoo in China and another in a lake in Vietnam. The male in captivity is a century old, while the sex of the other is unknown. In order to breed these turtles in captivity and potentially save the species, scientists need to find them—if they exist, that is. As described in a study published recently in Environmental DNA, researchers successfully detected the species in the wild, and are now using this portable eDNA test to search for additional individuals.
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Header Image: Swinhoe’s softshell turtles are among the rarest in world. Credit: Wildlife Conservation Society
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