Beal’s Eyed Turtle

1 Overview

Beal’s eyed turtle (Sacalia bealei), also called the four-eyed turtle, is one of the few largely vegetarian water turtles. Wild numbers are low (seen mainly in Fujian and Anhui) and it is demanding on environment and water quality.

SOURCE NOTE: the source gave the binomial Sacalia bealei, retained here. It is a China-endemic, CITES Appendix II / protected species.

2 Appearance

A medium turtle, adults ~14 cm. The head is smooth grey-brown with brown-black worm-like markings and 1-2 pairs of eye-spot ocelli behind the eyes (sometimes unclear). The grey-brown carapace is fairly flat with one keel; the flat plastron is about equal to the carapace, square front, slightly notched rear. Fully webbed feet; front 5 claws, rear 4; thin tail.

3 Care & Temperament

Hard to acclimate: quarantine, disinfect and tame new arrivals, separating sick ones. Keep healthy turtles in shallow aged water with fresh animal prey to settle them in. Water quality drives health, appetite and growth – change part of the water every 2 days in summer, every 5-7 days in spring/autumn, and lime the pond every 15-20 days.

4 Habitat & Environment

They are very picky about water – sensitive skin means quality is everything. Use a large tank with a basking stone; add a filter with maifan stone, bio-media, activated carbon and ceramic rings. Disinfect the vessel on schedule. Use dechlorinated (2-day-aged) water and change part, not all, of it at a time.

5 Diet & Feeding

Unusually vegetarian for a water turtle – it dislikes strong-smelling food and loves sweets, especially banana, but too much meat causes fatal gastroenteritis. Feed mostly raw meat with fruit as supplement; active April-October, brumating in winter. Watch intake: a sudden drop in eating for 2-3 days, or egg-white/red bloody stools, signals gut disease.