Chinese stripe-necked turtle

Mauremys sinensis

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle is well adapted to an aquatic behaviour and ecology and moves confidently through the water, both whilst swimming and whilst diving.

Red List

Critically Endangered

Breeding programme

The stripes on its head and neck give the Chinese stripe-necked turtle its common name. It is a typical marsh dweller and can often be seen basking in the sun during the day.

In the water, the animals move effortlessly thanks to their well-developed webbed feet on all their limbs. They are excellent swimmers and divers and search for their diet in the water.

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle is omnivorous. It therefore has a diet that includes both plant-based and animal-based foods, although the proportion of plant-based foods is higher in females than in males.

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle exhibits temperature-dependent sex determination: At an incubation temperature of 25 °C, significantly more males hatch; at higher temperatures, the proportion of females increases; and at 33 °C, only females hatch. The optimum temperature lies between 28 and 30 °C.