Rio Grande Turtle Wrongly Denied Federal Protection, Group Says

A conservation group sued federal wildlife officials for refusing to protect the Rio Grande cooter turtle under the Endangered Species Act, claiming the agency ignored scientific evidence showing the species faces extinction.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit Thursday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The group is challenging the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision that the freshwater turtle does not warrant protection despite threats from habitat destruction, water pollution from oil drilling, climate change and collection for the pet trade. The turtle lives in parts of New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. ...