▁As ▁the ▁ju ven iles ▁grow , ▁their ▁color ation ▁progress ively ▁becomes ▁pal er ▁until ▁they ▁finally ▁achieve ▁the ▁color ▁of ▁the ▁adult s . ▁ ▁Th re ats ▁The ▁Rot i ▁Island ▁s nake - ne ck ed ▁t urt le ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁desired ▁t urt les ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁pet ▁trade . ▁Even ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁scientific ally ▁described ▁it ▁was ▁so ▁over - collect ed ▁that ▁the ▁legal ▁trade ▁was ▁prohib ited ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁r ar ity . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁or ▁three ▁remaining ▁populations ▁live ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁only ▁ 7 0   km ² ▁( 2 7 ▁square ▁miles ) ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁high lands ▁of ▁R ote ▁Island . ▁It ▁is ▁still ▁il leg ally ▁captured ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁offered ▁on ▁mark ets ▁under ▁the ▁label ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Guinea ▁s nake - ne ck ed ▁t urt le ▁which ▁is ▁also ▁leg ally ▁protected . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁it ▁was ▁listed ▁in ▁Append ix ▁II ▁of ▁C IT ES . ▁ ▁Out side ▁of ▁capture ▁by ▁humans ▁there ▁are ▁few ▁natural ▁thre ats ▁to ▁this ▁species . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁some ▁reports ▁of ▁pred ation ▁by ▁fer al ▁p igs ▁( S us ▁sc ro fa ) ▁and ▁loss ▁of ▁habitat , ▁but ▁illegal ▁capture ▁and ▁trade ▁remain ▁the ▁primary ▁threat . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Asian ▁T urt le ▁Trade ▁Working ▁Group ▁( 2 0 0 0