The Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica) is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of turtle

Turtle

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...

 in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Geoemydidae

Geoemydidae

Geoemydidae is the largest and most diverse family in the order Testudines with about 70 species. It includes the Eurasian pond and river turtles and Neotropical wood turtles.-Characteristics:...

. It is endemic to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Its Japanese name is nihon ishigame that means Japanese stone turtle. Its population has decreased somewhat due to habitat loss, but it is not yet considered a threatened species.

This species is known to hybridize with the Chinese pond turtle

Chinese Pond Turtle

The Chinese pond turtle, Reeves' turtle or Chinese three-keeled pond turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae . It is found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. This specific turtle is semi-aquatic so it loves to bask in the sun on rocks or logs and can often be found leaving water to...

, the Chinese stripe-necked turtle

Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the Geoemydidae family. It is found in China , Taiwan, and northern & central Vietnam....

 and the Chinese box turtle

Chinese box turtle

The Chinese box turtle is a species of Asian box turtle with several names. Its common names include Chinese box turtle, 食蛇龜 Snake-eating turtle, Yellow-margined box turtle, and Golden-headed turtle. Taxonomically, it has been called Cistoclemmys flavomarginata, Cuora flavomarginata, and Cyclemys...

(and possibly other Geoemydidae) in captivity. As these three species are much rarer and strongly declining in the wild, this should be avoided.