Data from: Economics, life history and international trade data for seven turtle species in Malaysia and Indonesian farms

We collected data on the wildlife trade of seven turtle and tortoise
species endemic to Indonesia and Malaysia (Amyda
cartilaginea, Batagur borneoensis, Cuora
amboinensis, Carettochelys insculpta, Heosemys
annandalii, Heosemys grandis, and Heosemys spinosa). We
collated data for: the operations and economics of three breeding farms
and one ranching facility; species life-history traits; and species
international legal trade and confiscation data. We collected data for the
facilities (one in Malaysia and three in Indonesia) using field visits and
a semi-structured questionnaire. We conducted a literature review
to compile relevant information on
species’ life-history traits to estimate breeding viability. We
downloaded species-specific data on international trade from the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) Trade Database for the exporting countries (Malaysia and
Indonesia) for 2000–2015. We compared legal trade with confiscation data
obtained from CITES. The data in this article can
provide insights into the operations of turtle breeding farms in Southeast
Asia. The data can be used as a reference for the inspection of breeding
farms and for legislative bodies to determine whether captive breeding for
select turtle species is feasible.