The Vallarta mud turtle (Kinosternon vogti), which was only discovered and described in the city boundaries of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico in 2018, is endemic to the region and has been listed as critically endangered by the IUCN since 2022.
The natural habitat is a swampy valley, which is now densely populated due to the rapid development of tourism in the region. The drying up of the last water bodies forces the animals to migrate, resulting in numerous road kills on the newly built roads that intersect their habitat.
As the remaining refugia are also of high interest to the property market and are already being traded, there is a great deal of urgency to preserve this species and its habitats.
The project aims to set up a conservation breeding centre on the grounds of the local university.
In order to counteract the acute threat posed by road traffic and to gain some time for medium-term measures, Stiftung Artenschutz is financing a turtle protection fence and participating in other in-situ species protection measures.
Species
|
Vallarta Mud Turtle (Kinosternon vogti)
|
Threats
|
Habitat loss, raod kills
|
Project aim
|
Reptile fence, construction of a Conservation Breeding Center on University grounds, protection of natural habitats
|
|