Asian box turtles are turtles of the genus Cuora in the family Geoemydidae. About 12 extant species are recognized. The keeled box turtle (Pyxidea mouhotii syn. Cuora mouhotii) is often included in this genus, or separated in the monotypic genus Pyxidea. Genus Cuora is distributed from China to Indonesia and the Philippines, throughout mainland Southeast Asia, and into northern India and Bhutan. Description Cuora species are characterized by a low- (e.g. Cuora pani) to high- (e.g. Cuora picturata) domed shell, which usually has three keels on the carapace. They are reddish, yellowish, brown, grey, and/or black in color. Some species have bright yellow, black, orange, or white stripes down the length of their keels. Their body color is highly variable, but usually very intense. Most species show stripes of variable color down either side of their heads, which usually meet at the nose. Background Asian box turtles are the most heavily trafficked turtles in the world. They are captured and sold as food to China, and to the United States as pets. Nancy Karraker, a University of Rhode Island associate professor, has said “Trafficking in turtles is a major issue in Southeast Asia, and it’s important that we understand the key ecological roles that species like this box turtle play before it’s too late,” Different conservation organizations are taking action to prevent or slow down the extinction of these species, but in the past, most of the efforts failed due to lack of biological research regarding the history or genetic diversity of these species. Behavior Asian box turtles are terrestrial, semiaquatic, or mainly aquatic, most spending much of their time on the edge of shallow swamps, streams, or ponds that are dense with vegetation. Most are omnivorous, but carnivores do occur. Taxonomy and systematics Listed alphabetically by binomial name, the species are: Amboina box turtle or Southeast Asian box turtle, C. amboinensis (four subspecies) Wallacean box turtle, C. a. amboinensis West Indonesian box turtle, C. a. couro Malayan box turtle or domed Malayan box turtle, C. a. kamaroma Burmese box turtle, C. a. lineata Yellow-headed box turtle or golden-headed box turtle, Cuora aurocapitata or C. (pani) aurocapitata Bourret's box turtle, C. bourreti †Cuora chiangmuanensis (Late Miocene of Thailand) Vietnamese three-striped box turtle or green rice turtle, Cuora cyclornata (three subspecies) Chinese box turtle, yellow-margined box turtle, or golden-headed turtle, C. flavomarginata (two subspecies) Indochinese box turtle, Vietnamese box turtle or