Variations
1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Chinese stripe-necked turtle
Shy and active; may eat fish.
This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.
- Chinese stripe-necked turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
- Chinese stripe-necked turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
- Chinese stripe-necked turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Care and water
Behavior
Shy and active; may eat fish.
Check your local laws. CITES Appendix III (listed by China, 2005): exports from China need a CITES export permit and other exports a certificate of origin. US: live turtles under 4 in (10 cm) carapace length may not be sold. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.
Good to know: Needs a basking dock with UV and heat lamp and deep water. Never house with fish.
- wood
Food
Pellets, worms and vegetables.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Male or female
Males have a slightly concave plastron and the vent beyond the shell edge (longer tail); females have a flat to slightly convex plastron with the vent under the shell, and grow larger (to 30 cm vs 20 cm).
Health
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Breeding
Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate
Egg-layer with oval, hard (calcareous) eggs; sex is set by incubation temperature. A captive female laid three eggs in April (Smith 1923).
Pair.
Large tank with basking.
Warm season.
3-8 eggs
Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.
- Undersized tank and weak filtration
- No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
- Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Where it lives in the wild
The story of the chinese stripe-necked turtle
An Asian pond turtle from southern China, Taiwan and northern Vietnam with many thin, dark-edged yellow-green stripes on the head and neck. Despite being common in trade, it is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
John Edward Gray described the Chinese stripe-necked turtle in 1834. It lives in southern China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its neck has bright green-yellow stripes.
First described by John Edward Gray in 1834.
- Its neck has thin yellow-green stripes.
- It hybridizes with other Mauremys species.
- It is farmed in large numbers in China.
Sources
8 facts checked with sources
- Scientific name
Reptile (pond turtle, Geoemydidae), not a fish. Formerly Ocadia sinensis; older books (e.g. Ernst et al.) use that name. 'Ocadia glyphistoma' and 'O. philippeni' are hybrids involving this species (Reptile Database), and it hybridises with M. reevesii, so trade animals of uncertain origin may be hybrids.
The Reptile Database: Mauremys sinensis · Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) - Familycorrected
New value (legacy had none).
The Reptile Database: Mauremys sinensis - Size
Straight carapace length. Ernst et al. give to 24 cm; TTWG 2025 maximum SCL male 20.0 cm, female 30.0 cm. Legacy 23 cm is a typical large adult; big females can reach 30 cm.
Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) · Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis Biodiversity Center): Ocadia sinensis - Where it livescorrected
New value (legacy had none). Introduced populations: Italy, Spain, Réunion, Seychelles, Micronesia (Guam, Pohnpei), South Korea, USA (Florida) (TTWG 2025); also Germany (Reptile Database, 2026) — a risk from released pets.
Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) · Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis Biodiversity Center): Ocadia sinensis - Male or female
Legacy (male smaller, longer tail) agrees; plastron shape added.
Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis Biodiversity Center): Ocadia sinensis · Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) - Breeding
Egg-laying agrees with legacy. Nest site and trigger not sourced.
Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis Biodiversity Center): Ocadia sinensis · The Reptile Database: Mauremys sinensis - Storycorrected
Legacy called it 'common'; the IUCN rates wild populations Critically Endangered (2021). 'Widely farmed' was not checked against a source.
Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis Biodiversity Center): Ocadia sinensis · Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) - traits.legalcorrected
Legacy said 'listed under CITES; wild populations overharvested' without the appendix; TTWG 2025 (current to mid-2025) gives Appendix III (China). The permit details in the value are the general Appendix III rules, not quoted from a fetched page. IUCN Critically Endangered. US federal rule (FDA, 21 CFR 1240.62, in force since 1975): live turtles under 4 in (10.2 cm) carapace length and viable turtle eggs may not be sold or distributed commercially; exceptions include bona fide scientific/educational/exhibition use (not pets), non-business transfers and labelled export-only shipments. Salmonella hand-washing advice in legacy text was not separately sourced.
Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (Rhodin et al.) 2025, Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas, 10th ed. (IUCN SSC TFTSG, Chelonian Research Monographs 10) · US eCFR 21 CFR 1240.62 (FDA): Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements