Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, August 10, 2026 – Four mud turtles, including an endangered female Vallarta mud turtle, were rescued from two homemade traps discovered in Coapinole Lagoon after a citizen alerted municipal environmental officials.
The Puerto Vallarta Directorate of Environmental Sustainability said its personnel inspected the lagoon alongside the federal Environment Secretariat and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, known as Semarnat and Profepa.
Crews removed both traps and recovered four turtles from the genus Kinosternon. One was identified as a female Kinosternon vogti, commonly known as the Vallarta mud turtle or casquito de Vallarta.
The operation adds to a documented pattern of illegal trapping involving one of Puerto Vallarta’s rarest native reptiles.
In October 2025, Profepa and the Mexican Navy disabled 12 illegal traps across four Vallarta mud turtle nesting areas. PVDN reported that operation followed nighttime surveillance targeting the capture of the protected species.
A person was arrested in May 2025 in connection with the December 2024 theft of 40 casquito turtles from a University of Guadalajara conservation facility in Puerto Vallarta. The suspect was accused of participating in the targeted removal of the animals.
Scientists identified Kinosternon vogti as a distinct species in 2018. Its known habitat is limited to the Ameca River valley across parts of Jalisco and Nayarit. Mexico’s NOM-059 endangered species list classifies the turtle as endangered.
Coapinole Lagoon is one of the freshwater habitats where the species has been recorded. The site has also faced falling water levels and accumulated waste. A municipal cleanup in June removed about half a metric ton of trash from the lagoon and its surrounding area.
Municipal environmental officials said wildlife in the lagoon must not be captured, handled or removed. Violations can lead to sanctions under Mexico’s environmental laws.
People who see traps or suspicious activity at the lagoon were asked to report it without touching the devices or attempting to move the animals. The Directorate of Environmental Sustainability lists 322-688-2368 as its contact number.