Chinese demand for forest turtles is threatening an endangered species found only on one Philippine island, wildlife officials said Sunday. The Philippine Forest Turtle, found only in the western island of Palawan, is one of numerous freshwater turtles being taken by poachers for sale to China, said Adelina Villena, chief of staff at the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development. The reptile, also known as the Palawan forest turtle, is listed as "critically endangered," by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is found in forests and streams. It has a brown or black shell and can be recognized by a light-colored stripe across its head, behind its ears.

Smuggling endangers rare Philippine turtles. (2015, October 26). BusinessWorld, p. S1/11.