Field Observations and Conservation of Heosemys depressa in the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range of Western Myanmar

Pangolin distribution and conservation status in Bangladesh

“…The CHT shares a 200 km border with Myanmar and is part of the Arakan-Yoma mountain range that is oriented north to south, in parallel ridges, incised by deep gorges and with topography and vegetation very similar to that of western Myanmar [18]. Overall population density in Bangladesh in 2015 was 1236.81 people per square kilometer [19] and the CHT region has the lowest human population density in the country with 120 people per square kilometer of 11 different ethnic groups including the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, and Mro [20].…”

Heosemys depressain the Southern Chin Hills of Myanmar: A Significant Range Extension and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

“…Heosemys depressa has been assessed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1999 (IUCN 2012), and is considered among the most threatened chelonians in the world (Turtle Conservation Fund 2002;Rhodin et al 2011). The ecology of H. depressa remains virtually unknown (van Dijk 1993(van Dijk , 1997Platt et al 2010), which is regrettable because basic natural history information is necessary for informed conservation planning and could aid in the captive propagation of this critically endangered turtle (Dayton 2003;Horne et al 2012).…”

“…1; Platt et al 2003aPlatt et al , 2003bPlatt et al , 2010. Because accurate distributional data are an essential prerequisite for effective conservation planning (Dodd and Franz 1993;Stuart and Thorbjarnarson 2003), resolving the geographic range of H. depressa in western Myanmar has been accorded high priority (van Dijk 1997;Platt et al 2003aPlatt et al , 2010.…”

“…Because accurate distributional data are an essential prerequisite for effective conservation planning (Dodd and Franz 1993;Stuart and Thorbjarnarson 2003), resolving the geographic range of H. depressa in western Myanmar has been accorded high priority (van Dijk 1997;Platt et al 2003aPlatt et al , 2010. Moreover, given that the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range (RYER) is the only protected area currently known to harbor H. depressa (Platt et al 2010), conservation efforts would obviously benefit if the existence of additional populations could be confirmed in other national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. To this end, we earlier recommended that surveys be undertaken of all protected areas within the presumed geographic distribution of H. depressa (Platt et al 2003b(Platt et al , 2010.…”

“…Moreover, given that the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range (RYER) is the only protected area currently known to harbor H. depressa (Platt et al 2010), conservation efforts would obviously benefit if the existence of additional populations could be confirmed in other national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. To this end, we earlier recommended that surveys be undertaken of all protected areas within the presumed geographic distribution of H. depressa (Platt et al 2003b(Platt et al , 2010. Here we present new records for H. depressa in the southern Chin Hills and recently gazetted Kyauk Pan Taung Wildlife Sanctuary (KPTWS), and report on traditional ecological knowledge of this poorly known turtle among indigenous people of the region.…”