Mauremys caspica rivulata

Western Caspian Pond Turtle

Distribution: former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

Empire Stock: WC exported from Lebanon.

Size: Up to 23 cm.

Habitat: Various bodies of freshwater and may enter brackish water.

Diet: Mazuri Freshwater Turtle, fish, shrimp.

Sexing: Males are smaller, have longer thicker tails, and concave plastrons.

Breeding:

Notes: Imports are a mixed bag. Almost all of the animals I purchased years ago are doing fine. I think I lost 2 of 25 or so turtles. Others have had every turtle they bought die a short time later. One individual told me that he lost not only the Caspians but many of the turtles he housed with them. If you do buy imports you should quarantine them.

Some sources consider rivulata to be a full species, I do not here because it allegedly intergrades with M. c. caspica in Turkey.

Care Sheets: TT

Male import

Carapace and plastron.

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