Chinese pond turtle

Chinese pond turtle
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Mauremys
Species:	M. reevesii
Binomial name
Mauremys reevesii (Gray, 1831)
Synonyms
Emys reevesii Gray, 1831 Clemmys (Clemmys) reevesii — Fitzinger, 1835 Emys vulgaris picta Schlegel, 1844 Emys japonica A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron in A.M.C. Duméril & A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 Geoclemys reevesii — Gray, 1856 Damonia reevesii — Gray, 1869 Damonia unicolor Gray, 1873 Clemmys unicolor — Sclater, 1873 Damonia reevesii var. unicolor — Boulenger, 1889 Geoclemys [reevesii] reevesii — Siebenrock, 1907 Geoclemys reevesii unicolor — Siebenrock, 1907 Geoclemmys [sic] reevesi — Vogt, 1924 (ex errore) Geoclemys grangeri Schmidt, 1925 Geoclemys paracaretta Chang, 1929 Geoclemys reevesi grangeri — Mell, 1929 Chinemys reevesi — H.M. Smith, 1931 Geoclemys papacaretta [sic] Fang, 1934 (ex errore) Emys reevesi — Bourret, 1941 Chinemys reevesii Mertens & Wermuth, 1955 Chinemy reevesi — Mao, 1971 Chinemys grangeri — Pritchard, 1979 Chinemys pani Tao, 1988 Chinemys reevessi [sic] Obst, 1996 (ex errore) Chinemys reveesii [sic] Fritz, 1996 (ex errore) Mauremys reevesii — Spinks, Shaffer, Iverson & McCord, 2004

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 endemic to Asia.

Mauremys reevesii is found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

M. reevesii is semiaquatic, and basks in the sun on rocks or logs and can often be found leaving water to do so. They can usually be found in marshes, relatively shallow ponds, streams, and canals with muddy or sandy bottoms.

The Chinese three-keeled pond turtle (M. reevesii) is threatened by competition with released pet red-eared sliders (T. s. elegans), overhunting (its plastron is used in traditional Chinese medicine), capturing for the pet trade and wild habitat destruction. The IUCN considers M. reevesii an endangered species. This species, fortunately, breeds well in captivity.

The specific name, reevesii, is in honor of English naturalist John Reeves.

This species is notorious for its ability to produce hybrids with other Geoemydidae, even species that are only distantly related. The supposed new species "Mauremys" pritchardi was based on a hybrid of unknown origin between a male of this species and a female yellow pond turtle (Mauremys mutica). Furthermore, it has hybridized with the Chinese stripe-necked turtle (Ocadia sinensis), female Malayan box turtles (Cuora amboinensis), a male four-eyed turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata), and the Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica) in captivity.

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Wikipedia