African Side-Necked Turtles: Pelomedusidae

In 2003 the World Conservation Union (IUCN) listed one species, the Seychelles mud turtle, as Extinct; none of these turtles is still alive. In addition, it listed the Magdalena river turtle and the Madagascar big-headed turtle as Endangered, meaning that it faces a very high threat of extinction in the wild. Five species are Vulnerable, which means that there is a high threat of their extinction, and one is Near Threatened, meaning that it is at risk of becoming threatened with extinction soon. Many of these species live in very small areas, so even slight disturbances can kill populations and possibly the entire species. For example, the Broadley's mud turtle, which is listed as Vulnerable, is found only in Lake Rudolph (also known as Lake Turkana) in Kenya.