Yellow-spotted River Turtle

(Podocnemis unifilis)

Notes: This is a vulnerable freshwater turtle. The three you see here were photographed in an animal preserve during a July 2015 trip.

Distribution: Native to the eastern Ecuadorian Amazon river systems, such as the Napo and Aguarico rivers

Camera:

Location: Ecuador

yellow-spotted river turtle

 

Conservation in Ecuador
  • Threats: Populations face severe pressure from illegal adult turtle hunting, egg harvesting, river pollution (oil, gasoline, and plastics), and climate change-induced flooding of nesting beaches. 
  • Key Locations: Found in protected habitats like Yasuni National Park, where organizations like WCS Ecuador and local Indigenous groups (such as Kichwa, Waorani, and Siekopai “turtle women”) actively monitor nests, relocate vulnerable eggs, and protect hatchlings. 
dahlia

Dahlia pinnata is a species in the genus Dahlia, family Asteraceae, with the common name garden dahlia. It is the type species of the genus and is widely cultivated.