Balkan terrapin (Mauremys rivulata)

Short answers

Balkan terrapin: How big does the enclosure need to be?

150×60 cm aqua-terrarium or a garden pond.

Balkan terrapin: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–28 °C, basking spot Dry basking spot 30–42 °C under a lamp (expert report: radiant heat about 30 °C), at night 16–20 °C.

Balkan terrapin: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0).

Balkan terrapin: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 30–40 years.

Balkan terrapin: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–28 °C

Night temperature

16–20 °C

Basking spot

Dry basking spot 30–42 °C under a lamp (expert report: radiant heat about 30 °C)

Humidity

Aquatic with a land section

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

150×60 cm aqua-terrarium or a garden pond

Substrate

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

Feeding

Food

Fish, snails, water plants, pellets

Feeding interval

3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

15–24 cm

Life expectancy

30–40 years

Origin

The Balkans, Greece, Turkey, the Levant

Protection status

Protected (Habitats Directive Annexes II and IV in parts of its range)

Brumation

Winter dormancy 8–12 weeks at 5–10 °C, in water and in the dark in a frost-free room — not dry as for a tortoise; ease into and out of dormancy gradually over about two months

Cohabitation

Single housing or 1.2. Two males harass each other and the females; under constant courtship a female visibly loses weight. So one male to several females — and plan from the start for a way to separate the male temporarily.

Notes

Like its Moorish relative, but from the eastern Mediterranean. Summer keeping in a garden pond is ideal; the winter rest in cool water or frost-free in the cellar.

Do you keep this species?

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All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Balkan terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (150×60 cm aqua-terrarium or a garden pond), substrate (A water section 25–40 cm deep, a sandy bank, 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.