Care Sheet: Red-eared Slider

Habitat:
Red-eared sliders love water. Allow them plenty of swimming space. A heat source and light for basking should be given if unfiltered sunlight is not available. Providing a basking log and a transition section so that your slider can move back and forth from basking to swimming with ease.

Temperature and Humidity:
It is recommended that warming water be at least twice the turtle’s shell length, at a minimum. Temperature of the warming water should be about 75-86 degrees F and a large basking site are essential for red-ear sliders. Be sure to provide ample lighting and humidity.

Food:
Red-eared sliders are mainly carnivorous as juveniles, becoming more herbivorous as adults. The young eat water insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and tadpoles, then turn to a plant diet as they mature. The most important dietary requirements are vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus, which are necessary in sufficient quantity and in the correct proportions to form the bones and shell of a growing turtle, without which the shell would become soft and deformed.

Their diet is somewhat varied, so they can be feed worms, snails, water plants, fresh vegetables, and small pieces of raw meat. (As a side note: Raw meat should only be fed as a treat, since it is high in fat and grease soils the tank quickly.) Commercial prepared dry turtle food is acceptable as long as it is used in a well-balanced diet.

Cleanliness & Health:
Aquatic turtles, by general nature, are messy. It’s best to inspect your turtle thoroughly before purchase from a breeder or pet store. Other possible health problems include both internal and external parasites.

Further Information and Related Web Site:
http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Considerations in Creating Ponds For Aquatic Turtles

Below are several things you should consider before you dive into creating a pond for your aquatic turtle:

Liner versus Pre-Formed Ponds
Either type of pond can be used for aquatic turtles. The advantage of the liner is that you can form it any way that you like, including the ramps that turtles need to get in and out of the water. A disadvantage is that there is a slight chance a turtle’s claws could puncture the liner. It is also often a little easier to bury a pre-formed pond than to use a liner. Pre-formed ponds cost a little more for the same volume of water. This only becomes prohibitive with ponds over about 150 gallons, where a liner is simply much cheaper. For temporary housing outside, a kiddie pool with something in the center for basking could be used. Cement ponds are also possible but few people make them anymore. They are usually bad for turtles because they can scratch their shells on the cement and then get infections.

Pond Size and Dimensions
Obviously, “the larger the better” holds true for any animal’s accommodations but realistically, a pond that is primarily for water turtles should be in the 50 to 500 gallon range. This allows for easier cleaning and makes it easier to locate the turtles. The pond should have a variety of depths with ramps from one depth to another. For daily resting and sunning, there should be areas only a few inches deep so the turtles can be wet but have their heads free to breathe while resting. For swimming, any area about a foot deep suffices. If you plan to keep the turtles outside year round in cooler climates, they should have a spot that is at least two feet deep (or at least a foot below maximum ice depth) for hibernation (see hibernation).

Run Size and Dimensions

Land Runs
Aquatic turtles need to get out of the water. While they can do so on rocks and logs sticking out of the water, they should have the opportunity to feel the earth beneath their feet. Females need a sandy or dirt site to lay their eggs. Sometimes, the turtles want to walk around and investigate. The larger the run, the better it is for the turtles. Due to the effort and costs of fencing, it is more realistic to provide from 1 to 4 feet of ground away from the pond on some or all sides from the water.

Alternatives to land runs
If you would rather not have a run and fencing, there should be a shear cliff at least a foot high around the water. This could be accomplished with a rock wall or simply not filling the pond anywhere near the top. One can also make a stone overhang of the pond of at least 4 inches and then have the water at least 5 inches below that to keep the turtles inside. It becomes extra important without land to provide logs, rocks, etc. for the turtles to haul out and sun themselves. Many people make an island of rocks, styrofoam, or other materials in the middle of bathtub sized ponds.

Fencing
Fencing is necessary if you do not want your turtles to run away (and they would). It also serves to keep out predators. You may need to even cover the top of the enclosure to keep predators out (chicken wire is fine for that). The fence should be about 2 feet high above ground. For a more accurate determination of the height necessary, it should be 2.5 times the maximum carapace length for the species you are retaining. Another 6 to 10 inches of fencing should be buried underground as most aquatic turtles will dig. Run a board or some other opaque material along the bottom 4 to 6 inches up or so. This prevents the turtles from rubbing on the wire and getting heads or feet stuck in the wire. It also keeps baby turtles in better. Climb barriers may be necessary for turtles that can climb the fence or the corners. Stinkpots and wood turtles are two species known to be able to climb many feet up a fence. An ideal fence would be vinyl or PVC coated hardware cloth (rabbit wire) over a frame of pressure-treated wood. If a gate is installed, be sure to bury a board under it to prevent digging out.

Places to Hide
Aquatic turtles need places to hide both in and out of the water. These provide places to get away from predators and each other. They also allow the turtles to regulate their temperature by moving to warmer or cooler locations during hot and cold spells. During the summer, they must have an area of shade to get out of the sun. Common hiding places include thick vegetation, large flower pots on their sides, hollow logs, and other similar hideaways.

Filtration, Cleaning, and Water Changes
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, water turtles are affected by the same chemicals in water as fish. These include ammonia, nitrite, nitrate (high levels), low oxygen, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Thus, their ponds should have a good filtration system. This is especially true since, just like fish, aquatic turtles do most of their eating and defecation in the water. An especially good filter is needed. While an ordinary pond can do with entire water turnover in two to three hours, a turtle pond should have turnover every half hour or so. Some people would say a turnover every two hours is fine but that really only holds true when there are few turtles in a large, planted pond. I would prefer a larger turnover with turtles in small ponds (under 500 gallons). For example, a 200 gallon pond should have at least a 400 gph pump. There should be a good pre-filter like a sponge or floss. This will need to be cleaned as often as it clogs, perhaps daily. The biological filtration should be adequate to keep ammonia and nitrite levels undetectable. An example setup might be a Pondmaster 700 (700 gph pump) in a 200-400 gallon pond. Remember, a 700 gph pump only pumps at 100 gph if it is old or clogged. If you can change about 10-20% of the water every week or two, that should be adequate if you do not have more than one turtle per 50 gallons or so. It is okay to change up to 50% of the water at one time as long as the temperature is close and proper amounts of de-chlorinator are added.

Housecleaning: The Art of Maintaining a Clean Environment for Your Turtle

Yuk! This was probably the worst thing about keeping my turtles, but if you plan on making sure that your herp lives a good life, you’d better take some time to clean their living area.

Keeping their environment as clean as possible is a very important part to caring for your herp, because they can be particularly susceptible to infection and disease.

How often you clean, disinfect, and sterilize depends on the type of herp you have - for example, terrestrial, aquatic, or semiaquatic. Here’s what you need to know:

For aquatic or semiaquatic turtles - Every two weeks, change between 30 and 60 percent of the water; a sponge filter will help keep the water clean. Once a month, disinfect the tank and change the water completely. To remove algae, scrub the aquarium walls with a brush. Do not use any cleaning agents to clean the tank as that will infect their water.

For terrestrial turtles - Clean their cage once a week, changing the substrate and disinfecting the terrarium. Provide a water dish large enough for him to soak in but shallow enough to allow for an easy exit. Be sure to change the water daily.

Box Turtle Care and Description Sheets Up!

I’ve done a lot of work since last night…restored old links that are still active and I just posted the care and description sheets for the Common Box Turtle. Woot! Looks like the site should be back on track soon!

Care Sheet: Common Box Turtle

Habitat:
Common box turtles are basically terrestrial, but do swim occasionally. They prefer a somewhat shady environment and can be kept in a suitable outdoor enclosure where temperatures are warm and there is some sun. Your turtle will appreciate a water dish and plants to hide under. Alternatively, your turtle may be kept indoors in an aquarium or wooden box. Since they like to roam, this arrangement is not ideal. You should provide a hide box and water dish deep enough for bathing. Their home should also be equipped with a full-spectrum spotlight for basking on the average of, 12 hours a day.

Temperature and Humidity:
Box turtles do best when water and air temperatures in their enclosures are between 75 and 80 degrees F. Your turtle’s basking area should be warmer, to 85 degrees F.

Box turtles’ natural environment is shady and damp, so you must provide him with a fairly humid habitat. A substrate of moss or soil will help retain moisture in his terrerium. Mist the habitat and let the turtle soak in a dish of water every other day.

Food:
Box turtles are mainly omnivorous as juveniles, becoming more herbivorous as adults. A good diet choice is commercial food supplemented with greens and fruit; all commercial diets must be supplemented with insects. They are especially fond of earthworms, slugs, snails, and soft fruits.

Cleanliness & Health:
Indoor box turtles will usually defecate in their water dish, so you must be sure to change the water daily. The aquarium should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected once a month. Outdoors, their enclosure must be spot-cleaned as necessary and the water changed whenever it begins to get fouled.

Box turtles may suffer from respiratory and eye problems because of insufficient humidity. Many gulf box turtles are captured during the hibernation season, and have respiratory problems when they reach wholesalers. It’s best to inspect your turtle throughly before purchase from a breeder or pet store. Other possible health problems include both internal and external parasites.

Further Information and Related Web Site:
While this information is provided here as a quick reference, it is not by far, complete. I suggest you make a visit to the following page to get complete information on keeping your Box turtle: http://www.anapsid.org/box.html.

Description: Common Box Turtle

Why is a box turtle called such? A hinge in the middle of the plastron allows them to tightly lock their head, limbs, and tail inside their shells, forming a “box”. In the wild, box turtles are usually seen early in the day, or after rain. They often retire to swampy areas during the hot summer months. They are fond of slugs, earthworms, wild strawberries, and mushrooms poisonous to man — which habit has killed many a human who has eaten their flesh. New York Indians are responsible for eliminating this turtle from much of the area between Ohio and New England. They ate Box Turtle meat, used the shells for ceremonial rattles, and burried turtles with the dead. A few specimens are known to have lived more than 100 years, having served as “living records,” with fathers and then sons carving their names or other family records on the shell.

Common box turtles are found in most areas of the United States east of central Oklahoma and south of central New York. With a number of subspecies, such as the Eastern, Gulf Coast, Three-toed, and Florida Box Turtles, they offer a great diversity of appearance. Some varieties of box turtle are protected by state laws, and are thus not available in stores. Adult box turtles have been known to grow upto as much as 4-8 1/2″ (10-21.6 cm).

Physical Appearance:
Individual common box turtles vary widely in appearance. Some are very brightly colored, while others are an overall brown color. Adults average from four to eight inches in length. A major physical feature is the plastron (mentioned earlier), hinged at the front, which the turtle can close tightly against the carapace, closing himself up within his shell.

Character:
Box turtles are thought to be a highly intelligent reptile. While they are somewhat shy in the wild, they are easily tamed. In captivity they live an average of 50 years, with some known to live 100 + years! During periods of cooler weather when temperatures drop below 60 degrees F, they are likely to hibernate.

Welcome to the new Turtletopia.com!

Surprised? In case you are wondering what happened to the old site, I noticed that it was some how borked since the last time I visited. Therefore, I decided to revive the site again and update it for the better.

In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be working on restoring all the old content to the site and making way for new content. I’ll also be updating the layout of the blog template as well.

For those of you who have visited before, this change might be quite a shock for you. For those who are first time visitors, please make sure to stop back again. Either way, I hope you continue to stop by again and again.