Chinese three-keeled pond turtle, Reeves' turtle
Mauremys reevesii, commonly known as the Chinese pond turtle, the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle, or Reeves' turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae, a family which was formerly called Bataguridae. The species is native to East Asia.
It is one of the two most commonly found species used for divination that have been recovered from Shang dynasty sites.
The Chinese pond turtle belongs to one of the largest and most diverse families of turtles, with about 70 species. Members of this family are commonly called Leaf turtles. They usually have webbed toes, and their necks are drawn back vertically. Their carapaces have 24 marginal scutes. The plastron is composed of 12 scutes and has no mesoplastron; the pectoral and abdominal scutes contact the marginal scutes.
Chinese pond turtles are native to China and Korea. They inhabit marshes, relatively shallow ponds, streams, and canals with muddy or sandy bottoms.
Chinese pond turtles are semiaquatic, meaning they are home both on land and in water. They are social creatures and during the day typically gather in groups to bask in the sun on rocks or logs. Much of their daytime is spent looking for food. Like almost all aquatic turtles, Chinese pond turtles are territorial and don’t hesitate to chase away intruders.
Chinese pond turtles are omnivores feeding on various plants and small animals such as worms, snails, insects, and fish.
Females of this species lay 3-6 eggs and may produce several clutches. The eggs typically hatch in about 90 days and females become reproductively mature between 5 and 6 years of age.
The biggest threat to the Chinese pond turtle is the collection for consumption, pet trade, and for medical purposes. Other serious threats include the loss of habitat and degradation due to urbanization and pollution.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Chinese pond turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List.
