Physical Description
This turtle's brown carapace has three longitudinal black stripes, giving the species its common name. Chinese three-striped box turtles can have a variety of colors. The head is often golden-yellow to olive-green on the top with a brown, yellow or orange patch behind the eyes; the jaws are yellow and the neck is pink or orange. Males have indented plastrons and a thicker tail. The plastron is hinged, so the turtles can retreat inside their shells.
Size
Its shell grows 7-12 inches (20-32 centimeters), depending on the individual.
Native Habitat
Chinese three-striped box turtles are a semi-aquatic species found in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. They were once found in low- to mid-elevation forests of the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian, Hong Kong, Guandong, Hainan Island, and Guangxi, as well as northern Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. Now, they are only known to exist in Hong Kong.
Their natural habitat includes streams and stream banks, often at high elevations. Based on observations in zoos, it is believed that Chinese three-striped box turtles spend a significant amount of time on land.
Lifespan
This turtle's lifespan in human care is about 30 years.
Food/Eating Habits
These turtles are omnivorous and eat a variety of foods, including worms, frogs, crabs, fruits, vegetation and carrion.
At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they primarily eat greens as well as some proteins, including crickets and earthworms. Occasionally, they also eat vegetables and fruit.
Reproduction and Development
According to commercial farmers on Hainan Island, China, females can produce eggs once they weigh about 2 pounds (0.75-1 kilograms). They breed both in and out of water. Males can be very aggressive while mating. Females lay two to six eggs during the nesting season, which usually happens in May, and incubation lasts 80-85 days.
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