Zhou's and McCord's Chinese Box Turtles Cuora sp

Box turtles are named because they are able to open and tightly close the front and back sections of their shell.
Zhou's Box Turtle
Zhou's Box Turtle
Zhou's Box Turtle
This way of protecting themselves from predators has not stopped all Asian box turtles from being decimated by over-collecting by humans for the food trade. Zhou's Box Turtle in particular, (Cuora zhoui), above, is only known from South China food markets - it is not known where it lived in the wild and whether it is now extinct in the wild. It has not even been seen in food markets for several years and the very few conserved in zoos may be all that are left.
Mccord's Box Turtle
Mccord's Box Turtle
Mccord's Box Turtle
Mccord's Box Turtle (Cuora mccordi), above, was also first known from Chinese food, medicine and pet markets - but was found several years later in the wild in China's Guangxi province. It is critically endangered.