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Encyclopedia / Turtles / West African mud turtle
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Variations

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West African mud turtle

Pelusios castaneus · Pelusios, African mud turtle, Chestnut mud turtle

Peaceful but may eat fish; keep alone.

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20 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • West African mud turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • West African mud turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • West African mud 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 ?Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful but may eat fish; keep alone.

Check your local laws. US: live turtles under 4 in (10 cm) carapace length and viable eggs may not be sold or distributed commercially (FDA, 21 CFR 1240.62; exceptions for science/education/exhibition, non-business transfers and export). CITES status not confirmed in the sources checked. 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.

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Food

Pellets, worms and vegetables.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males have longer tails and slightly concave plastra; females have flat plastra.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate

Egg layer: in West Africa nests in February-March and eggs hatch in June-July; a captive female laid eggs in March and September. Courtship: the male approaches from behind, touches the female's throat and swings his outstretched neck in front of her head.

Pairing

Pair.

Setup

Medium tank with land.

What starts it

Seasonal cycles.

Eggs

6-18 eggs per clutch; a captive clutch hatched after 76-84 days.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.

Common mistakes
  • Undersized tank and weak filtration
  • No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
  • Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionWest and Central Africa
Rivers and lakesRivers and wetlands of West and Central Africa
HabitatSlow rivers, swamps and lakes
Native rangeAbout 2,000 km across
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The story of the west african mud turtle

A small side-necked turtle of West and west-central Africa, living in rivers, swamps and seasonal ponds and burying itself in mud or sand when the water dries up.

August Schweigger described this mud turtle in 1812. It lives in West and Central Africa. Its hinged shell can close tightly.

First described by August F. Schweigger in 1812.

  • Its shell has a hinge that closes the front.
  • It is a side-necked turtle.
  • It belongs to the African mud turtles, genus Pelusios.

Sources

9 facts checked with sources