TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / Turtles / Reeves' turtle
★New · no ratings yet

Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Reeves' turtle

Mauremys reevesii · Chinese pond turtle, Reeves turtle

Calm; good for beginners.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
30 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →

This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Reeves' turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Reeves' turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Reeves' turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓24+ years
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Calm; good for beginners.

Food

Pellets, insects, greens.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are much smaller, with a long thick tail and the vent beyond the shell edge, and often turn black (melanistic) as they age; females are larger.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (substrate spawner) · Moderate

Lays eggs on land, 1-3 clutches a year; regularly bred by keepers and in huge numbers on Chinese turtle farms.

Pairing

Buy a pair of adults.

Setup

A large tank or pond with a nesting area.

What starts it

A cool winter and warm spring.

Eggs

1-14 eggs per clutch (about 8 on average), 1-3 clutches a year; hatch in just over 60 days at 30 °C.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings eat insects and pellets.

Common mistakes
  • Poor water
  • No basking
  • No nest site
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionEast Asia – China, Korea, Japan & Taiwan
Rivers and lakesYangtze basin and lowland waters of eastern China
HabitatPonds, slow rivers, marshes and rice paddies
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the reeves' turtle

An East Asian pond turtle with three parallel keels (ridges) on its shell, easy to keep and widely farmed.

J. E. Gray described Reeves' turtle in 1831 from specimens sent from China by John Reeves. It is a small, hardy pond turtle that has long been kept in East Asian homes and gardens. Captive-bred animals are now common in the pet trade.

First described by John Edward Gray in 1831. Named for Named after John Reeves, a British naturalist who worked in China.

  • Older males often turn almost completely black, a change called melanism.
  • It has three ridges running along the top of its shell.
  • It is mainly a bottom-feeder that eats both plants and small animals.

Sources

10 facts checked with sources