page_title: Golden coin turtle
hierarchical_section_title: Golden coin turtle
caption_attribution_description: English: Captive specimen on display at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC
context_page_description: The golden coin turtle or Chinese three-striped box turtle is a species of turtle endemic to southern China and northern Vietnam.
  The species is distributed in China and northern Vietnam. The populations from other parts of Vietnam and Laos are now regarded a separate species, the Vietnamese three-striped box turtle.
  This species has three distinct black stripes on its brown carapace, with a yellow, slightly hooked upper jaw and a yellow stripe extending from the back of the mouth. The plastron is mostly black with a yellow border.
  In Hong Kong, this species feeds on fish, frogs and carrion; however, remains of crabs, snails and insects have been found in its faeces. It can grow up to 25cm.
  It hybridizes vigorously with its relatives in captivity and in the wild, and hybrids may be fertile. Several of these have been described as new species, such as the Fujian pond turtle, a hybrid between males of this species and females of the Asian yellow pond turtle. In addition, the golden coin turtle is suspected to be a parent of the supposed species Chinese false-eyed turtle and Philippen's striped turtle.
  The species is considered critically endangered with extinction by the IUCN.
context_section_description: The golden coin turtle or Chinese three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata) is a species of turtle endemic to southern China and northern Vietnam.
  The species is distributed in China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hainan provinces as well as Hong Kong and Macau) and northern Vietnam. The populations from other parts of Vietnam and Laos are now regarded a separate species, the Vietnamese three-striped box turtle (C. cyclornata).
  This species has three distinct black stripes on its brown carapace, with a yellow, slightly hooked upper jaw and a yellow stripe extending from the back of the mouth. The plastron is mostly black with a yellow border. 
  In Hong Kong, this species feeds on fish, frogs and carrion; however, remains of crabs, snails and insects have been found in its faeces. It can grow up to 25cm (10 inches).
  It hybridizes vigorously with its relatives in captivity and in the wild, and hybrids may be fertile. Several of these have been described as new species, such as the Fujian pond turtle ("Mauremys" × iversoni), a hybrid between (usually) males of this species and females of the Asian yellow pond turtle (Mauremys mutica). In addition, the golden coin turtle is suspected to be a parent of the supposed species Chinese false-eyed turtle and Philippen's striped turtle.
  The species is considered critically endangered with extinction by the IUCN. It is used in  folk medicine, e.g. as the key ingredient for the Chinese medicinal dessert guīlínggāo (龜苓膏); thus it is under threat because of unsustainable hunting. This is one of the most endangered turtle species in the world, according to a 2003 assessment by the IUCN.  C. trifasciata is listed among Turtle Conservation Coalition's 25 Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles.
caption: Captive specimen on display at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC
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