The habitat of an endangered turtle species was discovered in Lam Dong Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Cuora Picturata, the scientific name for Southern Vietnamese Box Turtle, was found in the forests of Langbian plateau by a group of scientists working in the area. Dr. Brian Stuart from the U.S.-based North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and scientists from ${bigcity_Ho_Chi_Minh_City:”Ho Chi Minh City”} University of Sciences found eight of these rare turtle species while they were doing research work in the area between July 2010 and January 2011.

The scientists stated that they have never seen the endangered turtle in the wild before. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the “Cuora Picturata” is a “critically endangered” animal. Thus, the discovery of the turtle is very important for its preservation. The rare turtle species was first recorded in 1998 during an investigation into wildlife trades in Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, in Quang Ngai Museum, still in the Central Lam Dong Province of Vietnam, archaeologists dug up a group of graves 2,000 years old. The said graves were of the prominent ancient Vietnamese Sa Huynh culture dating back to 1,000 B.C. – 100 A.D. They were discovered about five kilometers from an excavation site in Tay Tra District’s Tang Valley. The graves were unearthed about one-meter underground and between 2-5 meters from the banks of Tang River.

Since the scientists started excavating Tang Valley about two months ago, they have discovered many important relics in the area about 2,000 – 4,000 years old. These ancient remnants included pottery, jewelry and tools. The group of archaeologists also found 20 graves which included pots and jars, a burial tradition in Southeast Asia.