Long hunted for its meat, the Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) is now considered endangered in the entirety of its range, including Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. Although protected to some degree by conservation laws, this species is still of concern. To help efforts in the wild, the Zoo supports efforts in Mexico to create self-sustaining captive colonies of turtles to supply animals for reintroduction and to increase local support of turtle conservation
Here onsite, we maintain growth charts on this fast-growing turtle, and collect data on its diet, growth and development. It is our hope that this data will help refine captive diets and husbandry, or zoo caretaking in an effort to help this turtle.
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