Annam leaf turtle (Mauremys annamensis)

Short answers

Annam leaf turtle: How big does the enclosure need to be?

150×75 cm floor area for one or two adult animals, water depth 30–40 cm, plus a land area and basking spot; add 10% more floor space from the third animal, 20% from the fifth.

Annam leaf turtle: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–29 °C, basking spot 33 °C (basking spot), at night 20–23 °C.

Annam leaf turtle: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 6 %).

Annam leaf turtle: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: about 45 years.

Annam leaf turtle: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–29 °C

Night temperature

20–23 °C

Basking spot

33 °C (basking spot)

Humidity

Aquatic with a land section

UVB

Essential (UVB 6 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

150×75 cm floor area for one or two adult animals, water depth 30–40 cm, plus a land area and basking spot; add 10% more floor space from the third animal, 20% from the fifth

Substrate

A water section 25–40 cm deep, a sandy bank, dense planting, a basking spot

Feeding

Food

Omnivorous: aquatic plants, leaves and small amounts of fruit, plus fish, snails, worms, aquatic insects and high-quality pellets

Feeding interval

3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

20–28 cm

Life expectancy

about 45 years

Origin

Central Vietnam, Quang Nam province; swamps, slow-flowing streams, small lakes, ponds and shoreline zones up to about 100 m altitude

Protection status

CITES I / EU Annex A – sale only with a valid EU commercial-use certificate; IUCN "Critically Endangered"

Brumation

No winter dormancy. As a tropical species from central Vietnam it doesn't hibernate; a slightly cooler, darker phase in winter is possible — the expert report lists this as 'optional' for Mauremys.

Cohabitation

Single housing or 1.2. Two males harass each other and the females; a constantly harassed female visibly loses weight and gets bite wounds on the neck and front legs, so plan one male to several females and a way to separate them. Also crucial: never house together with other pond turtles. In captivity the species hybridises with closely related species, and every hybrid is lost to the conservation breeding of this critically endangered species.

Notes

Possibly already extinct in the wild – the species survives almost only in conservation breeding programmes. Annex A: without yellow CITES papers any sale is prohibited.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

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Related species

• Balkan terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) – Intermediate
• Chinese striped-neck turtle (Mauremys sinensis) – Beginner to intermediate
• Reeves' turtle (Mauremys reevesii) – Beginner
• Yellow pond turtle (Mauremys mutica) – Intermediate
• Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica) – Intermediate
• Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica) – Beginner
• Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa) – Intermediate
• Black-breasted leaf turtle (Mauremys nigricans) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Annam leaf turtle (Mauremys annamensis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (150×75 cm floor area for one or two adult animals, water depth 30–40 cm, plus a land area and basking spot; add 10% more floor space from the third animal, 20% from the fifth), substrate (A water section 25–40 cm deep, a sandy bank, dense planting, a basking spot), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.