Chinese stripe-necked turtle

Chinese stripe-necked turtle
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Ocadia (previously Mauremys)
Species:	O. sinensis
Binomial name
Ocadia sinensis (Gray, 1834)
Synonyms[2]
Emys sinensis Gray, 1834 Emys bennettii Gray, 1844 Graptemys sinensis Agassiz, 1857 Clemmys bennettii Strauch, 1862 Clemmys sinensis Strauch, 1862 Emys chinensis Gray, 1870 (ex errore) Mauremys sinensis Gray, 1870 Testudo anyangensis Ping, 1930 Pseudocadia anyangensis Lindholm, 1931 Mauremys sinensis changwui Tao, 1988 Mauremys sinensis sinensis Artner, 2003

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle (Ocadia sinensis) or golden thread turtle, is a species of turtle in the Geoemydidae family.

Like many other Geoemydidae, this species hybridizes vigorously with related and not-so-closely related members of its family.

It is one of the two most commonly found species used for divination that have been recovered from Shang dynasty sites.^[3]

Description

Chinese-stripe-necked turtles have a green body. As a juvenile, its carapace is grayish green and there are three distinctive ridges. As an adult, the color fades to a brown color and the two ridges gradually disappear. The plastron is ivory in color with small black spots. The male's tail is more coarse and long, while adult females will be larger than the males.

Habitat

This species prefers low altitude waters such as ponds, canals, and slow-moving rivers.

Distribution

It is found in China (Hainan, Guangdong & Fujian), Taiwan, Laos and northern & central Vietnam.

Conservation

Chinese stripe-necked turtles are protected by the CITES and IUCN, captive-breeding Chinese stripe-necked turtles are approved. Another reason that affects its population is the invasion of red-eared sliders. In Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan and in some other countries, it is a popular pet turtle.

Hybridization

In captivity, hybrids have been produced between this species and Japanese pond turtle and the Chinese pond turtle, as well as with a male Cyclemys (oldhami) shanensis. The supposed species Ocadia glyphistoma is a hybrid between a male O. sinensis and a female Vietnamese pond turtle. A species nearly extinct in the wild. Ocadia philippeni was also shown to be of hybrid origin, a male Ocadia sinensis with a female Cuora trifasciata. Both are either naturally occurring or bred for the pet trade. Any individuals that are available as pets therefore need to be kept separate from other members of the family to prevent hybridization.

Reproduction

After mating, the female turtle may lay 5-20 eggs that hatch about 60 days when needed.

Footnotes

References

• Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2000). "Ocadia sinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 29 July 2007. 
• Buskirk, James R.; Parham, James F. & Feldman, Chris R. (2005): On the hybridisation between two distantly related Asian turtles (Testudines: Sacalia × Mauremys). Salamandra 41: 21-26. PDF fulltext
• Keightley (1979): Sources of Shang History: The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age China. David N. Keightley. University of California Press. 1979.

Turtle family Geoemydidae
Genus	Species of the family Geoemydidae
Batagur	Burmese roofed turtle Northern river terrapin Painted terrapin Red-crowned roofed turtle Southern river terrapin Three-striped roofed turtle
Cuora	Amboina box turtle Bourret's box turtle Indochinese box turtle McCord's box turtle Keeled box turtle Pan's box turtle Southern Vietnamese box turtle Chinese three-striped box turtle Yellow-headed box turtle Yellow-margined box turtle Yunnan box turtle Zhou's box turtle
Cyclemys	Asian leaf turtle Assam leaf turtle Eastern black-bridged leaf turtle Enigmatic leaf turtle Myanmar brown leaf turtle Oldham's leaf turtle Western black-bridged leaf turtle
Geoclemys	Black pond turtle
Geoemyda	Black-breasted leaf turtle Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle
Hardella	Brahminy river turtle
Heosemys	Arakan forest turtle Giant Asian pond turtle Spiny turtle Yellow-headed temple turtle
Leucocephalon	Sulawesi forest turtle
Malayemys	Malayan snail-eating turtle Mekong snail-eating turtle
Mauremys	Balkan pond turtle Caspian turtle Chinese pond turtle Chinese stripe-necked turtle Japanese pond turtle Red-necked pond turtle Spanish pond turtle Vietnamese pond turtle Yellow pond turtle
Melanochelys	Indian black turtle Tricarinate hill turtle
Morenia	Burmese eyed turtle Indian eyed turtle
Notochelys	Malayan flat-shelled turtle
Orlitia	Malaysian giant turtle
Pangshura	Assam roofed turtle Brown roofed turtle Indian roofed turtle Indian tent turtle
Rhinoclemmys	Black river turtle Brown wood turtle Colombian wood turtle Furrowed wood turtle Large-nosed wood turtle Maracaibo wood turtle Mexican spotted wood turtle Painted wood turtle Spot-legged turtle
Sacalia	Beal's eyed turtle Four-eyed turtle
Siebenrockiella	Black marsh turtle Philippine forest turtle
Vijayachelys	Cane turtle
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist.