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Care sheet

Reeves' Turtle

Mauremys reevesii

Also known as: Chinese Pond Turtle

Geoemydidae · Testudines

BeginnerCITES IIIIUCN EN
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Temperament
Hands-off
Adult length
4–9 in
Lifespan (captivity)
15–25 yrs
Native range
East Asia — China, Korea, Japan (ponds, ditches, slow water)

Care guide

Overview

Reeves' Turtle (Mauremys reevesii) — a small, personable East Asian pond turtle that is hardy in captivity and a weak swimmer, so keep water shallow with easy climb-outs. Endangered in the wild — buy captive-bred only.

Environment

Climate

Cool side
72–78 °F
Basking spot
85–90 °F
Nighttime
66–72 °F

Environment

UVB lighting

Required?
Yes — provide UVB
Fixture type
T5 HO
Replacement interval
Every 12 months

Housing

Enclosure

Orientation
Semi-aquatic
Bioactive setup
Not ideal
Minimum size by life stage
  • HatchlingNot specified
  • JuvenileNot specified
  • Adult40 gal+ per adult; basking dock + filtration; a weak swimmer

Housing

Substrate

Safe options
bare-bottomlarge smooth stones
Avoid
ingestible gravel/sand

Nutrition

Diet & feeding

Dietary type
Omnivore
Feeding frequency by life stage
  • JuvenileDaily
  • AdultEvery other day; pellets + greens + protein items
Supplementation

Complete aquatic pellet base + greens; calcium (cuttlebone). Avoid vitamin-A deficiency (swollen eyes).

Care

Water & behavior

Water

Aquatic setup: water 72-80F, moderate depth with easy climb-outs, filtration, weekly changes.

Legal & ecology

Conservation

CITES
Appendix III
IUCN Red List
EN · Endangered
Wild populations

IUCN Endangered in the wild (habitat loss, trade, hybridization); CITES Appendix III. Keep only captive-bred animals; a hardy, personable pet-trade turtle.

Citations

Sources

Every husbandry parameter on this page is backed by the references below. Click through to read the originals.

  1. Mauremys reevesii — species account

    Animal Diversity Web, U. Michigan

    academic

    East Asian range, small pond-turtle biology.

    Published: 2020-01-01

  2. Mauremys reevesii — IUCN Red List (EN)

    IUCN

    government

    Endangered; CITES Appendix III; captive-bred strongly preferred.

    Published: 2019-01-01

  3. Reeves' Turtle Care

    The Bio Dude

    breeder community

    Tank size, water depth for a weak swimmer, basking, UVB, omnivore diet.

    Published: 2021-01-01

Reeves' Turtle (Mauremys reevesii) care sheet — Herpetoverse