Scientific name
Mauremys sinensis
Other names: Ocadia sinensis
Mauremys sinensis is also known under its former combination Ocadia sinensis. Its stripes must not obscure provenance difficulties and documented hybridisation within the genus. [1] The profile distinguishes natural data, captive records and experimental reference points, without turning measured tolerance into a keeping instruction.
Origin
East and South-East Asia: southern China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Laos in the current reference. Introductions exist outside this range. [1]
- Aquatic
- Ocadia sinensis
- Origin to check
Documentary overview: identity checked; natural observations and captive practices attributed separately. Undocumented limits remain explicit.
At a glance
| SIZE | ≈ 28 cm possible Carapace measured in a study [2]. |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | 22,8 years reported Captive maximum, not an average [2]. |
| LIFESTYLE | Aquatic Slow water [2]. |
Adult size
The USFWS overview reports carapaces reaching 27,9 cm in Chen and Lue’s sample; its lower bound of 3 cm also corresponds to juveniles, not adult size. [2]
Lifespan
22,8 years is the captive maximum cited via AnAge by USFWS, not an average life expectancy. [2]
Lifestyle
Aquatic: calm or slow water, with opportunities to leave it and bask. [2]
Housing
AQUATERRARIUM
A large adult is possible — Filtration, swimming and dry exit; species-specific minimum not established here.
Plan an aquaterrarium sized for a carapace approaching 28 cm; the sources retained establish no agreed captive minimum specific to this species.
Care parameters
WATER · STUDY
≈ 26 °C — Cited juvenile preference; not a universal protocol [2].
BASKING · STUDY
≈ 32 °C — Attributed experimental reference point [2].
Humidity
Water and platform — No universal percentage retained.
Documented thermal data
Around 26 °C in water for juveniles studied by Pan and colleagues, cited by USFWS [2] Experimental preference observation; alone it does not define a protocol for all ages.
Air and basking
Approximately 29 °C in air and 32 °C when basking in that same cited study [2] Do not copy critical tolerance temperatures as safe temperatures.
Feeding
OMNIVORE
Documented plant and animal diversity; captive ration to individualise [3].
Name, stripes and hybridisation
The Reptile Database lists former combinations and several cases of hybridisation with other Mauremys, particularly M. reevesii. [1] The practical consequence is to keep the original label and breeding information even when a name is corrected. Similarity in a photograph does not reconstruct lost ancestry. An uncertain strain must not be presented as a pure geographical population.
Adult size, lifespan and lifestyle
The USFWS overview reports carapaces reaching 27,9 cm in Chen and Lue’s sample; its lower bound of 3 cm also corresponds to juveniles, not adult size. [2]
22,8 years is the captive maximum cited via AnAge by USFWS, not an average life expectancy. [2]
Aquatic: calm or slow water, with opportunities to leave it and bask. [2]
A freshwater ecology
The US federal overview describes ponds, agricultural ditches, reservoirs and slow watercourses; Keelung River observations particularly concern deep pools with little current. [2] These data describe habitat choices, not permission to keep dirty stagnant water. For the setup, distinguish swimming space from resting places rather than uniformly filling a tank with accessories.
Reading figures correctly
A measurement series may mix juveniles, subadults and adults. Displaying “3 to 28 cm adult” from that series would therefore be misleading. Likewise, a maximum captive lifespan does not predict the remaining life of a purchased animal. Keeping measurement convention, date and context allows actual growth to be compared without automatically assigning an age.
Installing a maintainable system
Water, filter, platform and exit routes must be considered together in an aquaterrarium. The general guide linked to this profile helps describe this circuit. Recording the volume actually filled and reserving access to soiling behind decor makes maintenance repeatable. The water return must not be placed without checking how the animal reaches resting and exit areas.
Meals: an omnivore
Sardar Patel Zoo presents a natural menu including aquatic plants, fish, insects, worms and molluscs. [3] This list indicates resource diversity but provides neither a domestic frequency nor a complete proportion. Having a captive ration validated avoids turning every accepted food into a daily staple. Distinguishing quantities offered from leftovers is particularly useful for linking meals to water maintenance.
Laying and temperature
The species is oviparous, and the taxonomic reference notes temperature-dependent sex determination. [1] This does not authorise choosing an arbitrary temperature to obtain one sex. Embryonic development, viability and incubation-environment conditions must be addressed together. This profile documents biology; it does not propose reproductive stimulation or a laying timetable applied to every provenance.
Preventing unintended escape
The USFWS report analyses introductions and reports an escape from private keeping in particular. [2] Checking ramps, pipes and edges is therefore as important as tank area. A turtle that has grown may reach a previously inaccessible support. Never release an animal: observations of survival outside the native range demonstrate neither ecological harmlessness nor desirable acclimatisation.
Before acquisition
Ask for documented captive provenance, anticipate lasting housing and check local keeping rules with the competent authorities. Do not collect from the wild. A regulatory mention in an older report remains dated; it is not reproduced as current authorisation. A simple record with identity, documents, photographs and measurements later facilitates responsible transfer or specialist consultation.
Checklist
- Check identity and provenance.
- Anticipate adult carapace size.
- Secure exits and pipes.
Observations to record
- Shell
- Water
- Meals
- Provenance
The app provides individual animal records. Check which features are available for your animal in the released version.
Related guides
Original guides in French
Sources
Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.
- The Reptile Database — Mauremys sinensis
Source accessed - USFWS (2023) — Mauremys sinensis, Ecological Risk Screening Summary
Source accessed - Sardar Patel Zoological Park — Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle
Source accessed