Swinhoe?s soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) Swinhoe?s soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) is perhaps the rarest freshwater turtle in the world. Only five living examples of the species are known to exist. Four are in Chinese zoos and a temple pond. The other sole known survivor is the legendary turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake, in the center of Hanoi.

Photograph by Nguyen Hai Nam