Reeves' pond turtle
Amazing fact
Young Reeves’ pond turtles usually emerge above ground in the spring after the year they hatch.
国立環境研究所 侵入生物データベース
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Young Reeves’ pond turtles usually emerge above ground in the spring after the year they hatch.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Reeves' pond turtle
- Scientific name
- Mauremys reevesii
- Japanese name
- クサガメ
- Group
- Amphibians and reptiles
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Testudines
- Family
- Geoemydidae
- Genus
- Mauremys
A turtle of the Korean Peninsula and mainland China. Those living in Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu are thought to have been brought to Japan long ago.
Its head is dark brown, with yellow-green lines from the sides of the head down the neck. Old males sometimes turn completely black.
It eats both plants and animals, such as water plants, water insects, crustaceans, frogs and fish. In winter it hibernates under water.
How the Reeves' pond turtle lives
They are usually active by day and bask in the sun. On sunny summer days, they often move about in the early morning or evening to avoid the heat. Females lay eggs in nests dug in the ground.
国立環境研究所 侵入生物データベースBasic data
- Size
- Carapace length: males up to 20 cm, females up to 30 cm
- Active
- By day (diurnal)
- Diet
- Aquatic plants, aquatic insects, crustaceans, earthworms, frogs, fish and other foods
- Range
- Korean Peninsula and mainland China
Where the Reeves' pond turtle has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- クサガメ
- 简体中文
- 草龟
- 繁體中文
- 金龜
- 한국어
- 남생이
- Español
- Tortuga China de Estanque
- Français
- Émyde de Reeves
- العربية
- سلحفاة البرك الصينية
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 国立環境研究所 侵入生物データベース — クサガメChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
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