Notes on the Courtship and Captive Reproduction of the Southern Vietnam Box Turtle, Cuora picturata, at the Turtle Conservation Center in Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam.

Abstract

Endemic to only three known provinces in South Central Vietnam, Cuora picturata have faced extensive collection pressures for the food, medicinal, and pet trades. Further exacerbating their decline is the lack of protected areas where wild populations exist, with only one known population occurring within a protected area. With threats to wild populations persisting, the development of an assurance colony has been prioritized for C. picturata. The Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation has been operating the Turtle Conservation Center (TCC) in Cuc Phuong National Park since 1998. From 2020 to 2022, 24 C. picturata were acquired by the TCC from the illegal trade. With no ideal repatriation plan, these animals provided an opportunity for developing a captive assurance colony at the TCC to safeguard the species from extinction. As semi-aquatic species, box turtles in the genus Cuora are a unique group that shows variations in habitat use and behavior between species. Herein, we documented some specific courtship behaviors not yet described for C. picturata, providing insight into the unique reproductive behaviors of this species.