Reeves’s Japanese locale hatchlings

Most commercially available Reeves’ turtles are originally from China, but not ours. We have a rare locale that is completely different than anything else; Japanese Reeves’, which were imported in the early 80’s.  These Japanese locale have been at the same establishment since the early 90’s, and just recently we have been successful with breeding them.  It’s my pleasure to be able to offer their genetic offspring so this specific locale can flourish within the United States.  As these Japanese Reeves’ hatchlings grow, they will turn into a majestic pitch black color in carapace and plastron, something you will not see in the more commonly available Chinese Reeves’.  Reeves’ may have been introduced to Japan centuries ago by man, but they developed their own phenotype over much time.  These morphological traits now help to separate them from other local forms.
Mauremys reevesii, Reeves’ Turtle (or Chinese Three-keeled Pond Turtle) (Family Geoemydidae), is a moderate-sized aquatic species (carapace length up to 200 mm) widely distributed in East Asia throughout central and eastern continental China. However, the native distribution has been extended by human-aided translocations and possibly introduced over 400 years ago in prehistoric and historic times to southern Japan.
The carapace is oval and low-arched, possessing three longitudinal keels that are more-or-less parallel to each other, and is not serrated at the posterior margin, even in juveniles.
The carapace of the Reeves from the main land of China (most commonly available Reeves in the United States) is light to dark brown, sometimes with broken stripes along the 3 longitudinal keels. The carapace of hatchlings is usually more light-colored, especially around its outer margin. The coloration of the plastron is highly variable, from uniform dark brown to horn-colored with a smear of darker pigments.  The ground color of the head and throat varies from grayish to dark brown. Lateral surfaces of the head and neck possess a series of broken yellowish stripes extending from the snout.  The limbs and tail are brown or dark gray, but irregular light spots are sometimes scattered on the basal portions of limbs.
Japanese Reeves tend to have gone through melanism over the last hundreds of years. Their carapace and plastron are all black. Which makes them gorgeous and unique. In Chinese Reeves’, you usually don’t see melanism (loss of shell color) until the adults are much older. Japanese locale also exhibit changes in iris color: having a bright yellow background with a black “Batman” shape within the eye. Japanese M. reevesii attain greater carapace lengths compared to the Chinese populations. Japanese adult females and males exhibited a carapace length of 185–237mm and 145–183mm, respectively.
Mauremys reevesii is omnivorous and feeds on various plants and live and dead animals. They are personable to the point of recognizing you when you enter the room and they quickly figure out who feeds them. Being able to say you own a rare locale of Reeves’ turtle matched with a gorgeous black color, these Japanese Reeves’ will turn you into the few elite who have the ability to raise them.