What is the difference between the golden coin turtle and the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle?
The golden coin turtle and the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle differ by only one character in their names, and in appearance many friends confuse the two. In fact, these two turtles are very easy to identify and have clear differences, and the price gap between them is also very large; you could say a hair's breadth of difference makes an enormous difference. Let us take a look below at exactly how they differ!
Golden coin turtle picture
The golden coin turtle, commonly known as the three-keeled box turtle, red-bellied turtle, golden-headed turtle, "chuan-character-back" turtle, and red-edged turtle, is mainly distributed in subtropical countries and regions such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Hainan, Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, and northern and southern Vietnam. It mainly feeds on earthworms, and also eats fish, shrimp, insects in rivers, and some plant-based foods.
Chinese three-keeled pond turtle picture
Its scientific name is Mauremys mutica, commonly known as the stone turtle, water turtle, yellow-board turtle, yellow turtle, fragrant turtle, etc. In China it is mainly distributed in Anhui, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, Hainan, Hong Kong, China and other places; abroad it is mainly distributed in Vietnam and other countries. It is commonly found in waters of mountain basins or river valleys in hilly areas and semi-mountainous regions.
The difference between the golden coin turtle and the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle
1. The golden coin turtle is a closed-shell turtle, meaning that when its head and limbs are all retracted into the shell, its shell can close completely, sealing so tightly that you can hardly find even a gap; this is what closing means. The Chinese three-keeled pond turtle is not like this: although it can also retract its head and limbs into the shell, four openings remain on the shell, so external force can easily pull its head back out or cause it harm.
2. The golden coin turtle's back is brownish yellow or grayish black, with three obvious raised black longitudinal lines, of which the middle one is the most obvious and the longest, so it is also called the "chuan-character-back" turtle. The Chinese three-keeled pond turtle does not have this feature.
3. The top of the golden coin turtle's head has a yellow diamond-shaped mark, smooth and without scales. The top of the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle's head is smooth and olive green.
4. The golden coin turtle's plastron (ventral shell) is divided crosswise and connected by ligaments, so it is also called the broken-plate turtle. The Chinese three-keeled pond turtle's plastron is yellow, and the outer side of each scute has large ink-black spots.
5. The hard skin around the edge of the golden coin turtle's carapace is kumquat yellow, so it is also called the red-edged turtle. The Chinese three-keeled pond turtle's carapace is flat, brownish yellow-green or brownish black, with three keels, the central one being more obvious, and the rear edge is slightly serrated.