WATER TURTLES
Sliders, cooters, painted turtles and map turtles all resemble each other superficially, and require similar care. Their shells are disc-shaped and relatively flat. Sliders, cooters and maps generally are colored some shade of green or brown, while painteds are black. All of these turtles have stripes of lighter color on their skin and occasionally on their shells; on a map turtle these stripes are so intricate that they give the turtle its common name. Sliders and cooters are hardy turtles and usually do well in captivity. However, they grow quite large, with some types approaching two feet, although most common species only grow to about 12 inches in length. Painted turtles are smaller and somewhat less hardy, while map turtles require the most attention to thrive. A wide variety of exotic turtles are intermittently available, such as leaf turtles, African mud turtles, and snake-necked turtles. Juvenile snappers and softshell turtles are also sold, but their large adult size and aggressive behavior make them unsuitable for all but the most dedicated turtle-keepers.

For those keepers interested in smaller turtles, mud and musk turtles are fascinating creatures. Most are about half the size of the sliders and painteds. Unlike the saucer-shaped sliders, these turtles have taller, steep-sided shells that are longer than they are wide. While their brownish color scheme is drab compared to the colorful sliders, what they lack in appearance they make up for in personality. Mud and musk turtles have lived for fifty years in captivity - with proper care they are quite hardy. No matter what turtle you decide upon, investigate its natural history.

Photograph by Francisco Velasquez

NATURAL HABITAT
Red-eared Sliders Chrysemys scripta are found throughout the United States east of the Rockies. The subspecies C. s. elegansis the one most often sold in pet stores here and abroad. These fresh water turtles spend much of their time in the warm waters of their native habitat. While they are strong underwater swimmers, these sliders spend much of the warmer hours of the day hauled out on logs or rocks (or, when very small, on marsh weeds and other aquatic plants) basking in the sun. All of the sliders are omnivores, eating both animal protein and vegetable/plant matter. Younger turtles need up to 40% of their food from protein sources; adult turtles feed more heavily on vegetation. In the wild they begin by eating tiny fish and amphibian larva, water snails and a variety of plants growing in the water and on land.

It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four inches in length (this is problematic for those species whose full adult size is 4" or less!). The ones sold legally will be at least four inches long from the neck end of the carapace (top shell) to the tail end of the carapace. If male, it will be somewhere between 2-4 years old and already sexually mature. Wild females reach maturity later, between 5-7 years, and will then be over 5 inches in length; in captivity, females may reach maturity at about 3 1/2 years. You will be able to tell male from females: males are smaller than females in overall body size but have longer tails.

As with all wild-caught reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections, including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children. Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite; many of these turtles will not eat when they are stressed or frightened, and cannot eat when they are too cold. As soon as you can after you take your turtle home, scoop up a fresh fecal sample and take it and your turtle to a reptile veterinarian. While the feces is being tested, the vet will check out your turtle for signs of nutritional deficiencies, topical bacterial or fungal infections, beak overgrowth, respiratory and eye infections - all very common in wild-caught animals (and in captive turtles who have not been provided with the proper environment or diet). Make sure your turtle is given all the medication prescribed by the vet. If you have trouble administering it yourself, take your turtle back to the vet to have it done. If maintained at the proper temperatures, fed a healthy varied diet and kept in a stress-free active environment, your turtle may outlive you: some individuals have lived more than 100 years.

All Sliders need both a warm, dry area and a large pool of warm water. In the wild, they chose water that warms up quickly in the sun each day. You will need to provide a warm enclosure with both heated water and a warm place for your turtle to climb out and dry off. The water must be kept clean; rotting bits of food mixed with feces will combine to make an unhealthful habitat and a sick turtle. Turtles are messy eaters and defecate in their water, so cleaning will be an almost daily routine.

When your children's hands are big enough, teach them the proper way to hold and carry the turtle and to wash their hands after handling the turtle. If they have been playing with any other animals before they go to handle the turtle, they should wash their hands before handling, too.

Generally speaking, turtles are not appropriate pets for young children. The care and feeding is more complicated than is generally thought, and the daily maintenance of the enclosure, enclosure apparatus and feeding soon gets boring for most kids. (Some adults, too, are dismayed to find that they can't just stick the turtle in a box or tank of water or let them loose in their yard, tossing lettuce to it once in a while.) When obtained for a child, the parent must acknowledge and accept primary responsibility for the care of the turtle and routinely check it regularly for any signs or symptoms of illness.

Scientists believe that many cold-blooded animals, especially turtles and tortoises, can live almost forever as they show no signs of aging as they get older. Sadly they die from being successfully attacked by one of their few natural predators, from the poisoning or destruction of their natural habitat, and from improper care in captivity.

If the room is not warm enough to provide the turtle with the proper air temperature gradient, you will need to supplement the heat, providing another source of heat which may be used day and night in addition to the basking light. One alternative is to use one of the newer ceramic heat elements; these screw into regular incandescent sockets (preferably porcelain sockets), come in a variety of powers, and last a very long time.

On sunny days when the outside temperatures are warm, feel free to put your turtle outside for some sunshine. Set up a tub with basking and swimming areas. Exposure to full-spectrum lighting such as a Vita-Lite is recommended by some turtle experts, and is considered mandatory by others. Full-spectrum light is an essential part of the calcium metabolization process, and calcium deficiencies are very common in captive turtles. Many herpetoculturists use full-spectrum lights as, in addition to their importance in mineral metabolizing, they may have subtle psychological benefits such as improved appetite.

COMMERCIAL FOODS (No more than 25% of total diet):

Trout Chow, commercial floating fish, reptile or turtle food (pellets, sticks). The pellets and sticks have the advantage of being formulated specifically for reptiles and don't decompose in the water as fast as other foods.

ANIMAL PROTEIN (No more than 25% of total diet).

Live (healthy) feeder fish--do not feed frozen fish; they are deficient in thiamin and excess consumption will cause a thiamin deficiency in your turtle. Earthworms--buy them from a reptile or aquarium store; do not feed the ones from your yard as they may contain bacteria, parasites and pesticides against which your turtle has no immunity. Finely chopped beef heart and cooked chicken; raw chicken is too often riddled with salmonella. High quality (low fat)dog or cat kibble can be offered occasionally, these foods tend to be too high in fat and additives, so should not be used as a main source of protein.

FRUITS AND GREENS

Offer leaves of dark leafy greens such as collard, mustard and dandelion greens. Offer shredded carrots (and carrot tops), squash and green beans. Frozen mixed vegetables (thawed) may be used occasionally, but care should be taken as some frozen green vegetables develop thiaminase which destroys that all-important B vitamin. Fruit can be offered raw; shred hard fruits like apples and melons, chopping soft fruits such as berries. To help keep their beak trim, let them gnaw on pieces of cantaloupe with the (well washed) rind still attached.
My sliders love strawberries and bananas, as well as the greens that I give them every morning.

Many turtles are good climbers and diggers. My one Slider can climb up and over a 2ft. wire fence that surrounds the pond area, she has a bit of trouble landing though. I have taken measures to prevent her from climbing it. I hope!

If your keeping your turtle in an acquarium be sure that they cannot reach the top edge on the high side of the tank. Or they might try climbing over and get injured.

As with tropical fish, there is a danger of electrical shock, to you and the turtle, when using electric filters, water heaters and lamps in and around the tank of water. All electrical cords should be connected to a ground-fault interrupter which shuts off the current if anything happens. Available at your local hardware store. Do not use bulbs with higher wattage than your light fixture is rated for (no 100 watt bulbs in 60 watt fixtures). Turtles are very inquisitive and investigate and knock things about; secure your water heater behind an immovable wall or partition - turtle-proof it. You can also purchase covers for heaters to protect them.

Of course a pond is ideal, but not possible for everyone. If your keeping your turtle in a pond be sure to fence in the area to protect your turtle from wandering too far and getting injured or lost. Fencing should be a few inches below ground to prevent digging under. Also if you live in an area with larger prey, be sure they do not have access to your turtles.

During the breeding season between March and July, the female may find herself swept away by a persistent suitor. The male Red-eared Sliders attempt to win over a female by engaging in courtship activities include swimming backwards in front of the female with their forelegs stretched out, palm side up. Red-eared Sliders may produce up to three clutches of four to 23 eggs in a single year. With each nest, the female will go on shore and dig a shallow hole that is three to 10 inches wide. She deposits her eggs in these excavations and subsequently covers them up with soil and materials to seal in the eggs for protection from predators and the elements. The young turtles hatch 60 to 75 days later, although they may spend the winter in the nest.

View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook

CLICK TURTLE to return to CONTENTS