#2589 - Mauremys reevesii - Chinese Pond Turtle
AKA Chinese three-keeled pond turtle, or Reeves' turtle.
A freshwater Geoemydid (formerly Batagurid) turtle native to East Asia, but poached almost to extinction in the wild. Happily, breeds well in captivity. Unhappily, it breeds well with any other turtle remotely related to it.
The shell may be yellowish-brown to a dark brown or black, and the skin can range from an olive or grey-green to black. Oddly enough, the overwhelming majority of adult males in New Zealand are jet black, including their eyes, a colour scheme they develop at 4-5 years of age. They can easily reach 20 years of age with good care.
Extensively farmed in China, mostly for the shells that are used in 'traditional medicine'. The species was also heavily used in Shang Dynasty divination rites. The prediction for any turtle due to be so used was presumably 'Not Good'.
Hokitika National kiwi Centre, Aotearoa New Zealand