At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2006 global assessment of Dermatemys mawii says Critically EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Central American river turtle is a large, almost fully aquatic turtle that rarely leaves the water. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
It is heavily hunted for its meat.
Range & habitat
Rivers and lakes of southern Mexico and northern Central America.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Hunting for meat and eggs
- Habitat loss
- A largely aquatic life that makes it easy to net
Why it matters
A river turtle hunted to the brink for food, the Central American river turtle is a flagship for freshwater turtle conservation in the region.
Sources
Sources for Central American River Turtle
- IUCN Red List — look up Central American River Turtle (authoritative status)
- reptile-database.reptarium.cz
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Central American river turtle so easy to overhunt?
It is highly aquatic and lives in predictable river and lake habitats, where it can be netted in numbers; demand for its meat has driven heavy harvest.
Why is it Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite hunting for meat and eggs, habitat loss, and its vulnerability to netting. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.