The statements in this article are based on reliable sources and are repeated at the end of this article
In fact, the mainland has a long history of eating these turtles and turtles, and even as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there are records of the history of eating, and even derived a lot of allusions, in many unearthed tombs, there are also corresponding records. But in modern times, due to the large-scale destruction of the environment and capture by humans, many people have not seen soft-shelled turtles in the wild for a long time, but in recent years, there seem to have popped up a lot, and there are even some "big ones", what is the reason for this?
1
"Disappearing" wild populations
Since the 80s of the 20th century, China's wild soft-shelled turtle population has experienced wind and rain, and the number of soft-shelled turtles in China has fluctuated significantly. Other turtle species, such as turtles, are also facing severe challenges to their survival. Clearly, there are multiple reasons behind this.
Especially with the unique "health concept" in some areas, and some health care products that can be "claimed" to treat a variety of diseases and regulate the body, the so-called "health value" of soft-shelled turtles has been promoted on a large scale, and soon these creatures have quickly equated with words such as "health" and "health care" in everyone's hearts, and naturally produced large-scale capture.
Due to its unique physiological structure, the growth cycle of this species is extremely slow, and the cost of captivity-rearing is high, after all, it can only grow a little bit in a year, but on the contrary, there are many large individuals that can be captured in the wild. The results are self-evident, not only the large-scale disappearance of wild soft-shelled turtles in China, but even the soft-shelled turtle populations in many countries in Southeast Asia, due to the strong demand of some people, have also begun to catch on a large scale, and even led to a serious crisis in the soft-shelled turtle populations in many countries.
However, this situation soon attracted the attention of relevant agencies, and in order to protect these precious lives, relevant departments and relevant organizations have come to the rescue and implemented a series of powerful protection measures. The establishment of nature reserves has provided a safe habitat for soft-shelled turtles, and the artificially bred and released project has helped their populations to gradually recover. At the same time, the increasing improvement of laws and regulations and the strengthening of law enforcement have provided a solid legal guarantee for the protection of soft-shelled turtles.
With the management and regulation of related industries, under the combined effect of these different measures, the wild turtle population in China has gradually come out of the trough and shown a trend of recovery and growth. The conservation results of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle are particularly remarkable, and through scientific conservation strategies and artificial breeding techniques, its wild population has been effectively restored, and it is now a "vulnerable" species.
However, we should not take this lightly. After all, the habitat of these species is now facing serious challenges. Therefore, we must continue to step up conservation efforts to ensure that China's wild turtle populations can thrive and thrive for a long time to come. Moreover, although it is said that the growth cycle and size of soft-shelled turtles vary depending on the species, they can generally be summarized as these.
Their life cycle generally includes hatching, juvenile, growth, and reproduction. Most turtles can live for decades in the wild, with some species even living for more than a hundred years. Depending on the temperature conditions, the eggs usually take a few weeks to a few months to hatch. The incubation temperature is usually between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius, and the difference in temperature in this range affects the sex ratio.
Different species of soft-shelled turtles vary greatly in size. For example, the adult body length of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle is usually between 30 and 45 centimeters. Some small soft-shelled turtles, such as the tooth-rim turtle, may be as long as 15 to 25 centimeters in adulthood. Environmental conditions, genetic factors, and nutritional status can all affect the growth rate and final body size of soft-shelled turtles. In the case of a good natural environment and no human interference, soft-shelled turtles can grow healthily and reach the normal body size of their species, but they are generally about 10 catties in size.
2
Frequent "hundred-year-old soft-shelled turtle"
But unlike these, there was news before that some people caught dozens of pounds of turtles in the small river at the door, and once thought it was a "hundred-year-old turtle", and some people thought that it was a class of turtles that had almost become extinct. But it's clear that they're all wrong. After all, you said that it is still possible in the deep mountains away from the people, isn't it too outrageous to have a small river at the door?
In fact, it's not our native species at all, it's called the Florida soft-shelled turtle. In fact, you only need to listen to the name to know where it comes from. However, with the prevalence of the pet trade and the release of animals, the turtle has crossed borders and become an uninvited guest in many parts of the world, including China. In the southern part of the continent, the warm waters provide an ideal habitat for the Florida soft-shelled turtle to thrive and form a stable population.
In fact, it should not be said, although it is an invasive alien species, but it actually has many advantages, the most advantageous place is to grow much faster, like our native ones may only grow one to two taels a year, the time cost of breeding is too high, in the 90s, many people introduced pearl turtles as a breeding species. It also grows quickly when eaten, and the taste and nutrition of the meat are not inferior to native species.
It stands to reason that such a species is still welcomed, but its arrival has not brought about harmonious symbiosis, but has caused a series of ecological problems. They compete with native turtles for limited food and habitat, posing a serious threat to native species. In addition, they are highly fervulative and have a high survival rate, which can quickly occupy ecological niches, further squeezing the living space of native species. As alien species, they lack natural predators in their new environment, leading to population surges.
To make matters worse, they can also carry parasites and pathogens that are harmful to native species, spreading diseases. It can be said to be two completely different creatures from our traditional Chinese soft-shelled turtle. These invasive species, with their oval jewel-like dorsal carapace covered with colorful stripes, resemble works of art in nature, while the Chinese soft-shelled turtle has a flat disc shape and spots on a dark background, resembling an ancient totem.
In terms of living environment, these alien species prefer freshwater and swampy areas and actively forage for insects and fish during the day, while the Chinese soft-shelled turtle prefers rivers and rice fields, and is mainly omnivorous and not picky eaters. Geographically, the Florida soft-shelled turtle, native to the southern United States, has crossed national borders and spread across the world's warmest regions, and can even be found in China, while the Chinese soft-shelled turtle "sticks" to its homeland in the East, mainly in the plains of China, Vietnam and South Korea.
When the breeding season arrives, both types of turtles burrow to lay eggs, but there is a clear difference in numbers. It is important to note that alien species may pose a threat to native species in their new environment, compete for food and habitat resources, and may even spread disease. Therefore, the management and protection of these two types of soft-shelled turtles need to be "adapted to the conditions of soft-shelled turtles" and scientific and reasonable measures should be formulated to ensure their balanced development in their respective ecosystems.
In order to meet this challenge, relevant institutions and scientific institutions are working together to take positive action. Prohibit the illegal introduction, sale and release of these invasive species of turtles through restrictions and legislation, strengthen market supervision, and crack down on illegal pet trade. In addition, public education campaigns have been carried out to raise awareness of invasive species issues.
Some results have also been achieved in physical capture and artificial breeding, which have effectively reduced the number of wild populations. At the same time, researchers are working on research and development of biological control methods, such as the use of natural enemies to control the population of this turtle. Protecting and restoring the natural habitat of native turtles is also an important step to improve the competitiveness of native species and thus better restore populations in the wild.
3
The introduction of species unexpectedly poses a crisis
Around the world, many plants and animals that were originally introduced for farming are now becoming invasive species. For example, the beautiful water hyacinth, which originated in the Amazon, is widely introduced for its elegant appearance and ability to purify water quality, however, it reproduces extremely quickly, resulting in water surface covering, blocked water flow, aquatic life threatened, and ecological balance at stake.
The same seemingly inconspicuous yellow flower, originally introduced from Europe as an ornamental and nectar source plant, has spread rapidly in different environments, dominating one side, squeezing native plants and destroying the original vegetation community. The American white moth, which travels from North America to be used in the silk industry, has wreaked havoc on forests in a state of freedom, severely damaging tree growth and causing forest degradation. Grey squirrels, introduced from North America in the UK, have escaped and competed with native red squirrels for resources, leading to a sharp decline in red squirrel populations and the potential for disease transmission.
In addition to these well-known species invasions, there are many lesser-known cases that have also caused serious damage to the ecological environment. For example, the African giant snail is native to East Africa, but when introduced to the Pacific islands, parts of Asia, and Hawaii in the United States, it became a pest, destroying crops and carrying parasites that threaten human and domestic health. Originally a North American species, mink was introduced to Europe and elsewhere for fur production, but escaped and posed a threat to native waterbirds and small mammals.
The Burmese python has established wild populations in places like the southeastern United States to prey on native wildlife, including endangered species. After the yellow-bellied mouse fox was brought to several islands, its predation on birds and reptiles led to the extinction of some native species. The Mediterranean fruit fly has spread to many fruit-producing regions around the world, causing serious damage to fruit crops. These cases remind us that the introduction of alien species needs to be rigorously monitored and evaluated to prevent irreversible impacts on the new environment.
These cases remind us of the need to be extra cautious when introducing alien species and to fully assess their potential impacts. Once the invasion of species becomes a reality, we may need to take comprehensive measures to curb its spread and impact, to avoid these theoretical problems from having a real impact, after all, our homeland needs to be protected accordingly, and we can't let these innocent species pay for our human mistakes, after all, caring for our ecological environment is caring for ourselves.
Resources:
[1] CCTV published on 2009.2.18 "Chinese turtle weighs 15 pounds as big as a basin and will break the Guinness record"
[2] China.com 2023.9.5 "[Animal Protection Talks] Shi Haitao: Protecting the critically endangered turtles and turtles can't wait any longer!"
[3] China Green Development Association 2019.6.6 "Volunteer Manuscript Publication: Wetland Conservation and the Fate of Turtles and Turtles". Green Society: In addition to turtles, other turtles and turtles are also on the verge of extinction》