The Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) is considered the most critically endangered turtle in the world, with only four known individuals left on Earth. These extraordinary turtles are teetering on the brink of extinction. Focal species:. The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world, and can reach 120 kilograms (19 stones). One of the world's rarest turtles, a Yangtze giant softshell, has died in China, leaving just three known survivors of the species. Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei)Chelonian Threats:. The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle, considered as the world’s rarest and largest turtle species, used to populate China’s Red River and lower Yangtze River. Only 4 specimens of Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle are known to exist: a male and female captive pair at the Suzhou Zoo in China, and two specimens of unknown sex residing in separate lakes in northern Vietnam. Yangtze giant softshell turtles are part of class Reptilia and can be found in wetlands and large lakes in Asia. The Hoàn Kiếm turtle was an invalid taxon of turtle from Southeast Asia, found in Hoàn Kiếm Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam.Although some Vietnamese biologists assert that R. leloii is a distinct species from the Yangtze giant softshell turtle Rafetus swinhoei, of which there are only three known living specimens left in the world, most authorities classify it as synonymous with the latter species. The species is known from the Red River in China and Vietnam, and from China’s lower Yangtze River floodplain, as cited by IUCN. News Death of rare Yangtze giant softshell turtle leaves 3 remaining in the world. The over 90-year-old female turtle died a day after an aborted attempt at artificial insemination. Vietnam was in mourning after it emerged that its sacred giant turtle, a symbol of the nation's independence, has died. In Chinese, it is known as the speckled softshell turtle (Chinese: 斑鱉; … One of the world's rarest turtles, a Yangtze giant softshell, has died in China, leaving just three known survivors of the species. The species is known from the Red River in China and Vietnam, and from China’s lower Yangtze River floodplain, as cited by IUCN. About the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle. The world’s last known female Yangtze giant softshell turtle (seen here in 2015) died at China’s Suzhou Zoo this weekend, leaving only 3 individuals of the species left on Earth. The enormous Yangtze giant softshell turtle is the world’s rarest turtle, with only three individuals thought to remain in the world. The Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), also known as the Red River giant softshell turtle, Shanghai softshell turtle, or Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, is an extremely rare species of softshell turtle found in Vietnam and China. The last known female Yangtze giant softshell turtle has died in China, according to Chinese state media, potentially dooming the species to extinction. The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world, and can reach 120 kilograms (19 stones). The massive turtle known as Cu Rua, who passed away last week, had swum in the waters of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, for decades, if not more than a century.