New World Pond Turtles: Emydidae

According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), six New World pond turtles are Endangered, meaning that they face a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Seven species are Vulnerable, meaning that there is a high risk that they will become extinct in the wild, and fourteen are Near Threatened, meaning that they are at risk of becoming threatened with extinction in the future. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the Alabama red-bellied turtle as Endangered and three other species as Threatened. Pollution, collection for the pet trade, and destruction of habitat, or the areas in which the turtles prefer to live, are major reasons that the numbers of these turtles are low. In addition, raccoons and other animals often dig up nests and eat the turtle eggs.