闭壳龟 (bìkéguī): Asian box turtle (Cuora spp.)

Measure Word

一只闭壳龟 zhī

Meanings

1 Asian box turtle (Cuora spp.)
2 turtle whose hinged plastron can close the shell completely

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

闭壳龟遇到危险时能把壳完全关上。

Bìkéguī yùdào wēixiǎn shí néng bǎ ké wánquán guānshàng.

When threatened, the box turtle can close its shell completely.

HSK 7-9

金头闭壳龟是中国的珍稀特有物种。

Jīntóu bìkéguī shì Zhōngguó de zhēnxī tèyǒu wùzhǒng.

The golden-headed box turtle is a rare species endemic to China.

Tips

memory

Literally "shell-closing turtle" (闭 = close, 壳 = shell, 龟 = turtle). The hinged plastron lets it lock up like a box.

culture

Multiple Chinese Cuora species (金头闭壳龟, 三线闭壳龟, 百色闭壳龟 etc.) are critically endangered due to TCM and pet-trade overharvesting.

Stroke Order

闭 bì

壳 ké

龟 guī

Related Words

安布闭壳龟 ānbùbìkéguī

Amboina box turtle (Cuora amboinensis, the Southeast Asian box turtle)

黄缘闭壳龟 huángyuánbìkéguī

yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata)

闭壳肌 bìkéjī

adductor muscle (of a bivalve mollusk)

龟壳花蛇 guīkéhuāshé

Chinese habu / Formosan pit viper (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) / a venomous pit viper common in Taiwan and southern China

黄缘盒龟 huángyuánhéguī

yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata) / Chinese box turtle

小金钱龟 xiǎojīnqiánguī

small golden coin turtle; small specimen or small-bodied strain of the three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata)

关闭 guānbì HSK 4 #2,087

to close; to shut / to shut down; to close down

贝壳 bèiké HSK 7-9 #9,786

shell / seashell / shell of a mollusk

闭 bì HSK 6 #431

to close; to shut / to obstruct; to block

龟苓膏 guīlínggāo

guilinggao / turtle jelly (Cantonese herbal dessert) / tortoise-shell and Poria herbal jelly