Let’s talk about the Nubian flapshell turtle
Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle
The Nubian flapshell turtle is one of Africa’s largest freshwater turtles.
Found in fragmented pockets of habitat from West Africa to Sudan, this gentle giant hadn’t been seen in the wild for decades. That was until 2017 when it was rediscovered in South Sudan.
Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle
The Nubian flapshell turtle is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.
Like many of our Fantastic Freshwater species, threats to the Nubian flapshell turtle are largely a result of degradation of their habitat. However a study published in Oryx in 2021 established a new threat, one that could push the species (with its already small population size) towards extinction.
Interviews with more than 300 local fishermen about the species revealed that four Nubian flapshell turtles captured around Mongalla, South Sudan, were sold to expatriate Chinese residents, who paid up to EUR 400 per turtle for food1. The high price creates a strong incentive for the fishing communities in the area to catch these turtles and there are fears the Nubian flapshell turtle could suffer the same fate of other turtle species exploited for the Asian food market.
The species is being threatened by:
- Habitat destruction from sand mining, damming, channelisation, and pollution
- The species is collected for human consumption
© Gift Simon Demaya
Monitor and protect
The Nubian flapshell turtle needs urgent action. Despite the species’ conservation status being Critically Endangered, it is not currently protected or regulated under any international legislation.
The authors of the 2021 study recommend the creation of a protected area for this species. Following surveys of population status, trends, and distribution, they also advise monitoring and mitigating the potential detrimental effects that the Asian export market may have on this species.
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*The Fantastic Freshwater: 50 landmark species for conservation report is led by SHOAL, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, and the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo.
1Luiselli, L., Dendi, D., Benansio, J.S., Demaya, G.S., & Stanford, C. B. (2021). An additional threat to the recently rediscovered Nubian flapshell turtle in South Sudan. Oryx, 55(4), 490-490
