Chinese stripe-necked turtle

Mauremys sinensis

Irish Name: Turtar muineál stríocach Síneach
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

Chinese stripe-necked turtle (also called the golden thread turtle) have a green body and a brownish-grey shell. Their underneath, or plastron, is an ivory shade with black spots. Chinese stripe-necked turtles are named after the yellow, vertical stripes down its face and neck. These turtles prefer a habitat close to streams, ponds and slow-moving rivers. They have webbed feet and strong leg muscles which allows them to be powerful swimmers.

Chinese stripe-necked turtle

Mauremys sinensis

Irish Name: Turtar muineál stríocach Síneach
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

Chinese stripe-necked turtle (also called the golden thread turtle) have a green body and a brownish-grey shell. Their underneath, or plastron, is an ivory shade with black spots. Chinese stripe-necked turtles are named after the yellow, vertical stripes down its face and neck. These turtles prefer a habitat close to streams, ponds and slow-moving rivers. They have webbed feet and strong leg muscles which allows them to be powerful swimmers.

General Information

Where do they live?

These turtles can be found in Asia in countries such as China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

How long do they live?

Chinese stripe-necked turtles can live to 20 years of age.

What do they eat?

As hatchlings, Chinese stripe-necked turtles are omnivores. When females grow up, they adopt a herbivorous diet and eat plants high in fibre. They usually eat grass, green plants, flowers and moss. Males stay omnivores but tend to eat more meat than plants. Males mostly eat small insects and their larvae.

Group Name

These turtles are solitary in nature and have no formal group name.

Zoo Location

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle habitat can be found in Zoorassic World, beside the royal pythons.

Closest Related Species/Sister Species

Their closest related species is the Japanese pond turtle.

Animal Class

Reptilia

Animal Order

Testudines

Fun Facts

Air adaptation

Many river turtles can avoid the need to surface for air too often by using their bottom to absorb oxygen from the water. This is called cloacal respiration and is particularly important for some hibernating turtles, who spend the cold months underwater.

Basking in the sun

Like many reptiles, turtles do not generate much body heat. To get their body up to its best working temperature they often start their day by 'basking'. They will sit out in the sun and catch as much of its energy as they can.

Group life

Stripe-necked turtles are more social than many of the other species in their genus. Turtles usually prefer to be alone most of the time, and although they are not as interactive with each other as very social species like elephants, they will often bask in the same spots and tend to spend more time with other turtles.

Toothless

Turtles today do not have any teeth. Instead, they rely on sharp beaks and often sharp and even jagged jawbones to break up their food.

Drinking

As their nostrils are connected to their mouths, many turtles have taken to drinking water through their nose. This is common with many reptiles. Sometimes you might see a turtle stick its entire head into the water and drink without opening its mouth.

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Family Life

Very little is known about the breeding behaviour of this species in the wild. Like many other turtle species, the Chinese stripe-necked turtle is a solitary animal and has very little involvement with hatchlings once their eggs have been laid. However, Chinese stripe-necked turtles have been documented to bask in the sun, in relatively close proximity to other turtles of the same species.

Baby Name

Hatchling

Age at maturity

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle reaches maturity at 15-18 cm long, which is approximately 5-7 years of age.

Gestation period

Hatchlings emerge after 60-150 days of incubation.

Number of young at birth

Females will lay 3-10 eggs at a time

Size in length at birth

Hatchlings can measure 30-35 mm long

Size

Fully grown adult Chinese stripe-necked turtles can measure 20-22 cm in length.

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Conservation

Critically Endangered

The Chinese stripe turtle has been evaluated as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Current population estimate

Due to the difficult nature of surveying wild populations in their native habitat, there is no estimate on the population number of this species.

Threats

Chinese-stripe necked turtles are facing threats such as habitat loss due to poor water quality and industrial development on rivers.

What is Dublin Zoo doing?

Dublin Zoo promotes the conservation education of this species through the Discovery and Learning department.

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FAQs

  • Why does the Chinese stripe-necked turtle have yellow stripes?

    Any animals with a stripe pattern is very well adapted to camouflage into their environment, as the stripes blend in with the surrounding habitat at a distance. Sometimes an animal with a striped pattern can use this camouflage to their advantage when hunting their prey or hiding from a predator.

  • Why does the Chinese stripe-necked turtle have webbed feet?

    Chinese stripe-necked turtles, alongside many other species of turtle, live in aquatic habitats. Turtles have webbed feet to allow them to move and swim through the water.

  • Can turtles come out of their shell?

    Like many other turtles, the Chinese stripe-necked turtle shell is made of their fused bony ribs and covered in layer of keratin. Keratin is the same substance that makes up hair, fingernails and horns. Shells are sensitive despite how hard they are.

  • What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?

    Tortoises have a heavier shell that is shaped like a dome, they are adapted for living on the land. Turtle’s shells are flatter and thinner and are adapted for swimming in a variety of water sources like the ocean, ponds and streams.

  • How far can the Chinese stripe-necked turtle travel in a day?

    It has been documented that these turtles can travel from 5 – 245 metres in a day. This is called their home range.

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