Heosemys spinosa-  spiny turtle        Origin: Southeast Asia

    This species is starting to appear more and more in the pet trade in the United States.  In general, the juvenile animals that I have worked with tend to be hardy after going through a treatment protocol whereas the adults I have received from the food markets of Asia have been extremely difficult to treat and adapt to captivity.  It appears that juveniles are capable of adapting to their new environs much more readily than adults.  It may also be that they are not being subjected to the same conditions in terms of the food markets of China and are entering the pet trade directly.

    Housing: Juveniles should be a housed in a large open enclosure with plenty of leaf litter for burrowing.  I prefer utilizing a dirt substrate beneath the leaf litter again to allow for normal digging and hiding behaviors.   A large bin for soaking should also be placed in the enclosure as these animals seem to enjoy sitting in shallow water with just their heads sticking out.  Adults should be housed in a similar manner.  They also tend to burrow underneath leaf litter and loose soil during the day.

    Food: Banana is a favorite, fish, papaya, cantelope, Aquamax fish food.

Links to further information on H. spinosa: