The Buffalo Zoo is proud of our countless conservation efforts that help create a future where wildlife thrives, including a recent project dedicated to saving a newly discovered turtle species.

Many are unaware that our native turtles are being illegally collected and sold all over the world as part of the black market pet trade. The illegal trade of turtles has made them one of the most endangered vertebrates on the planet.

In 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reached out to the Buffalo Zoo’s staff requesting help from our turtle expert and veterinarian. The USFWS had confiscated 100 animals consisting of six species, the majority of which were various species of endangered box turtles.

However, there were 11 that were a newly described species of mud turtle from Mexico named Kinosternon cora, or the Mexican cora mud turtle.

Cora mud turtles, which officially split off from the critically endangered Vallarta mud turtle, started to show up in more and more illegal pet trade confiscations in the past year or so. It is sadly a case of a newly described species being collected to extinction.

In line with our dedication to conservation, the Buffalo Zoo took action.

The Zoo dedicated resources and brought in the confiscated cora mud turtles, setting them up in a bio secure facility. Buffalo Zoo staff took point on this project and quickly started a consortium made up of four different facilities and a total population of 60 cora mud turtles that make up an assurance colony.

The Buffalo Zoo’s population is now a recognized Association of Zoos and Aquariums program. The assurance colony at the Zoo has started with 12 animals with the goal of producing offspring that can one day be introduced back into the wild once the pressures on their population have been mitigated.

We are delighted to say that the turtles are doing great. They are active, eating well, and most importantly, healthy.

The turtles will be going into their reproductive season starting in late October and our staff will be learning much more about them. This key information can then be shared across the consortium to promote the best possible conditions for the species to thrive.

Being a new species to science, we are starting from scratch. Lots of data is being collected on these Cora mud turtles’ size, sexual dimorphism and health. No one has ever bred or hatched this species before so learning about their social dynamics, how they breed and how to hatch the eggs is all part of the process.

The eggs in particular may be a whole new learning experience as it appears they are diapause eggs, meaning the eggs need to go though an environmental change to start development. For some species of turtle, you need to incubate them at a certain temperature, put them through a cooling period, then raise the temperature to start that development. The Buffalo Zoo’s team will be studying this species for some time to find what those environmental factors are so we can ensure successful hatching and the species’ survival.

The Buffalo Zoo would like to especially  thank the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation, whose support allowed our staff to set up these Cora mud turtles in a bio secure facility. This will allow the program to grow, with the ultimate goal of releasing them into the wild.

It’s very exciting to be working with such a rare species, and the Buffalo Zoo could not be prouder to help contribute to this species’ survival.