Turtles in Malaysia: A Review of Conservation Status and a Call for Research

Mohd Hairul Mohd Salleh; Yuzine Esa; Sarahaizad Mohd Salleh; Shahrul Anuar Mohd Sah

doi:10.3390/ani12172184

Turtles in Malaysia: A Review of Conservation Status and a Call for Research

Animals (Basel). 2022 Aug 25;12(17):2184. doi: 10.3390/ani12172184.

Authors

Mohd Hairul Mohd Salleh^{1

2}, Yuzine Esa^{1

3}, Sarahaizad Mohd Salleh⁴, Shahrul Anuar Mohd Sah⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
² Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2, Putrajaya 62596, Selangor, Malaysia.
³ International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Lot 960 Jalan Kemang 6, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
⁴ School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town 11800, Penang, Malaysia.

Abstract

Approximately 356 species of turtles inhabit saltwater and freshwater habitats globally, except in Antarctica. Twenty-four species of turtles have been reported in Malaysia, four of which are sea turtles. The state of Terengganu harbored the highest number of turtles, with 17 different reported species. Based on the IUCN Red List, 29% of turtle species in Malaysia are critically endangered. In comparison, another 25% are classified as endangered. Likewise, CITES reported that 67% of Malaysia's turtles are threatened, while 25% are classified as critically endangered. This review discusses the checklists, molecular genetics work, conservation status, recent trends, and recommendations for future research. Factors contributing to their population declines and current endangered status are also discussed.

Keywords: CITES; IUCN Red List; checklist; endangered; genetic; sea turtles; taxonomic.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding, and the APC was funded by the Publication Fund, Research Management Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia.