The Critically Endangered Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle faces extinction as the streams and ponds they rely on in Colombia’s most threatened ecosystem shrink.
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Species at Risk
Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle (CR)
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Carbon stored
not calculated*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Wildlife Conservation Society–Colombia
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250 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Purchase
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Project Cost: $272,299
250
The Critically Endangered Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle faces extinction as the streams and ponds they rely on in Colombia’s most threatened ecosystem shrink.
-
Species at Risk
Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle (CR)
-
Carbon stored
not calculated*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Wildlife Conservation Society–Colombia
-
250 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Purchase
-
Project Cost: £216,110
250
The Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle is among the world’s top
ENDANGERED TURTLE SPECIES.
The Critically Endangered Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle—with an estimated 2,000 individuals remaining—barely hangs on in Colombia’s most threatened ecosystem of tropical dry forest. Its habitat once covered an area three times the size of Hawaii, but agriculture, urban expansion and cattle ranching have whittled its range down to four fragmented locations, severely limiting the turtle’s ability to breed and maintain genetic diversity.
This semi-aquatic species inhabits streams and ponds within tropical dry forest, but only 4% of this delicate habitat remains intact, another 5% is severely fragmented, and the rest has been destroyed. The only hope for the survival of this rare turtle species is expanding its access to the natural ponds and streams vital to its survival.
Rainforest Trust and our partner, Wildlife Conservation Society–Colombia, seek to purchase 250 acres directly adjacent to the 297-acre Reserva Natural La Carranchina acquired in 2019 with generous funds from our donors. This is the world’s first—and only—protected area for the conservation of this critically endangered species. With your support, this expansion will allow their population to grow and thrive.
Explore Reserva Natural La Carranchina
Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle. Photo by Wildlife Conservation Society
Overhead image of Dahl’s Turtle fitted with a transmitter on its back to track species movement in real time. Photo by Turtle Survival Alliance
Visitors on the potential reserve site by Turtle Survival Alliance
Give Imperiled Turtles A Chance At Survival
Securing this additional habitat is vital to bolstering genetic diversity, especially since the 60 individual turtles in residence at La Carranchina are outgrowing the relatively small protected area. The proposed expansion would, according to experts, raise the capacity of the reserve up to 200 turtles—10% of the global population—and significantly increase the global conservation outlook for the species. But we must act now. The owner of this critical plot has already received an offer from an agribusiness company that would convert the tropical dry forest into cassava plantations.
Support Capacity-Building And Livelihoods Of Local Communities
The existing La Carranchina Reserve engages with local community members through habitat restoration, honey-bee collection and species monitoring. The expansion will provide opportunities to further develop collaborative pilot projects for agroforestry, beekeeping, and other conservation-aligned techniques that can be replicated by local residents on their own lands.
Conservation work is critical, challenging, and can be costly. We work hard to ensure we raise only the funds needed for each project. In the rare case we raise more money than needed or a project comes in under budget, excess monies will be transferred to the Conservation Action Fund. This fund supports our important conservation work throughout the tropics.
Project Modifications
Rainforest Trust conducts extensive research and due diligence on each of the projects that we support, so that once a project is offered for public support we believe it will succeed. We work closely with our project implementers, offer support, and regularly monitor their progress. Given the nature of the work, projects may not progress exactly as intended and may be unable to meet all objectives. To respond dynamically to the needs of our project implementers and the realities of the landscapes in which they operate, Rainforest Trust expressly reserves the right to modify a project as it deems necessary, provided that donor intent is honored by ensuring that that the original project objectives are diligently pursued and that project funds continue to benefit the landscape and species identified in the project overview. Project modifications that we may need to make in certain circumstances include the specific project implementer, the size of the landscape to be protected, the type of protection to be afforded to the landscape, and the development of sustainability mechanisms.
Partnering to Save Rainforest
Our partners’ ability to work with their governments and build strong connections with local communities ensures the successful implementation of our projects.
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