This film takes you on a journey through Okinawa, Japan where we search for the elusive Okinawa Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda japonica) in the wild.
We travel through the scenic countryside of Okinawa Island through subtropical forests and mountainous terrain.
The focus of the trip is to study the Okinawa Leaf Turtle's ecology, status, and distribution. This trip helped us to fully understand the captive management of this species. This may be the first time this cryptic chelonian has been filmed in situ, where they inhabit deep burrows set on very steep, heavily forested ravines and gorges.
This film explains the long and confusing taxonomic history of the genus Geoemyda and includes footage of Geoemyda spengleri, Heosemys depressa, Heosemys impressa, Siebenrockiella leytensis, Melanochelys tricarinata, Rhinoclemmys rubida rubida, Vijayachelys silvatica, Cyclemys dentata, Manouria impressa, Pelodiscus sinensis, Mauremys mutica kami, and Cuora flavomarginata evelynae.