What is the difference between a golden-thread turtle and a Chinese pond turtle? A quick guide to telling them apart

Turtles have very sturdy shells on their bodies. When attacked, a turtle can retract its head, tail and limbs into its shell, and many people find them cute and keep them as pets. So what are the differences between golden-thread turtles and Chinese pond turtles?

1. The difference between golden-thread turtles and Chinese pond turtles

The golden-thread turtle and the Chinese pond turtle are actually the same thing. The Chinese pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) is also known as the wugui, caogui, golden-thread turtle, ink turtle, mud turtle and so on. It is aquatic but can also crawl on land. In mainland China, wild Chinese pond turtles have been found everywhere except the Northeast, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and other places, living in rivers, lakes and ponds.

2. What do golden-thread turtles and Chinese pond turtles eat?

Golden-thread turtles and Chinese pond turtles are omnivores with a fairly broad diet. They eat snails, shrimp, small fish and so on, and also eat corn, small fish, shrimp, snails and so on; their favourite foods are small fish and small shrimp. In captivity they are mainly fed small fish and shrimp, lean meat, small insects, rice, vegetables, fruit, turtle feed and so on. When young they are more carnivorous, and as adults they are more herbivorous.

3. How big can golden-thread turtles and Chinese pond turtles grow?

Golden-thread turtles and Chinese pond turtles grow rather slowly, with an average lifespan of fifty years, and can grow to about 23 cm long. Under normal conditions, the growth rate of females is: one-year-old turtles mostly weigh around 15 grams, two-year-old turtles 50 grams, three-year-old turtles 100 grams, four-year-old turtles 200 grams, five-year-old turtles 250-350 grams, and six-year-old turtles around 400 grams; males grow slowly, and the largest sexually mature individuals are generally under 250 grams.