Cuora trifasciata

Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle

Three dark lines offer a clue to its name.

Reference photo, not the individual on display. Credits appear below.

Care commitment Specialist setup

Habitat Land & water

Visiting Watch quietly

Meet your new acquaintance

Nickname Three-striped Hideaway

Semi-aquatic; activity varies with conditions

A hinge in the lower shell helps a box turtle close itself in. There is no need to frighten it to demonstrate that ability.

Species stories

Five turtles make a conservation journey home

In January 2013 five US conservation-bred golden coin turtles reached Hong Kong through cooperation recorded by Kadoorie Farm, Turtle Conservancy and Hong Kong’s conservation authority.

This was a managed conservation transfer, not casual release. Identity, health, breeding background and subsequent management connect individual movements with population goals.

A name often associated with price gained another story: cooperation to preserve a species. Five turtles did not finish conservation, but helped extend the narrative from possessing an individual to maintaining a future population.

Story sources:

Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden · Endangered Turtles Return Home

At a glance

The three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata) is a semi-aquatic turtle from southern China, named for the three longitudinal lines on its shell. Streams, shallow banks and adjacent land connect feeding, resting and nesting needs within one landscape.

Streams, shallow banks and nearby land connect movement, omnivorous feeding and nesting. Semi-aquatic life needs a continuous usable habitat, not disconnected water and land assignments.

Shell lines, head colour and the plastral hinge offer different observations, while closing the shell changes body exposure. Conservation adds a population-level story: documented breeding, health management and cooperation between institutions help build sustained protection.

Common names Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle; Cuora trifasciata

Scientific name Cuora trifasciata

Native rangeSouthern China, including Hong Kong, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan; C. trifasciata in the restricted sense

Adult sizeOften about 15–25 cm shell length

ActivitySemi-aquatic; activity varies with conditions

Diet Provide a balanced omnivorous diet suited to age and condition, including appropriate animal and plant foods and complete turtle feed. Dried shrimp or muscle meat alone is inadequate.

Habitat & care

Provide accessible shallow water, dry land, cover and clean water. Do not treat it as a turtle that lives only in deep water.

Values guide routine care, not breeding or brumation. Dimensions are length × width × height for one adult unless stated otherwise; larger animals need more space.

TemperatureBasking surface 30–35°C JZAR reference: daytime air 26–28°C; night 22–24°C. Measure water separately; do not apply basking temperatures to water.

HumidityMoist retreats The checked source gives no single RH percentage. Provide moist land and accessible water without dirty, waterlogged substrate.

LightingUVB & shade Choose UVB intensity and distance for the species, with a fully shaded retreat.

Space120×60×60 cm Recommended starting recommendation for one adult land-and-water enclosure; choose depth for swimming ability and easy breathing and land access.

Look a little closer

Locate the three longitudinal shell lines and compare the central and side lines. If naturally visible, find the plastral hinge beneath. During a climb ashore, follow forefeet gripping, hind feet pushing and the shell rising out of the water.

Care note: Never pick it up simply to make it close its shell.

About this profile

Cuora trifasciata should be distinguished from the similar Vietnamese C. cyclornata. Three shell lines alone do not establish species or locality.

Profile status: Reference profile · Reviewed 2026-10-20

References (6)

Photo: Cuora at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons，resized for display · Original image, credit and licence

Behaviour notes describe the species, not a promise about every individual. These care notes introduce its needs; ask our team about the animal on display and any supervised encounters.