By Suart Dodsworth

Did we learn anything from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze of the late eighties/early nineties? If the current way that turtles are being sold is anything to go by then the answer is definitely no! Red Eared Terrapins may not be being sold as readily as they were in the past, but they have been replaced with different species, the most common currently in the North East of England being:

Map Turtles (Graptemys sp.), Yellow Bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta), Cooters (Pseudemys sp.), African Mud Turtles (Pelusios sp.) and Soft Shelled Turtles (Trionychidae family).

Correct Husbandry for turtles and terrapins

Recent examples of poor advice, which I have heard are:

• Turtles can live with your goldfish as long as you keep them without any heat.
• It’s a dwarf turtle and is nearly fully-grown and will live for two to three years (about a baby False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica).
• It doesn’t need any heating or lighting just a bit of slate to climb out on.
• Frozen bloodworm will do it for life as food.

With regard to the Animal Welfare Bill would it not be advisable for all shops to start giving out correct advice, especially on husbandry, life spans and potential sizes.  At the current time after receiving poor advice and buying a turtle for fifteen or twenty pounds many owners are unwilling to buy the correct set up to ensure a long, healthy life for their turtles.“ I was told it didn’t need heat and anyway its lived three weeks so I must be doing something right.” Even if it hasn’t fed in that time!

Now I’ve got that off my chest back to the husbandry of Graptemys, Trachemys, and Pseudemys species.

Housing: - A large fish tank at least 5ft x 2ft x 2ft is best for a pair of adult turtles although if more space can be given then this is even better.  Two land areas should be available to them one at the cool end and one at the basking end.  If you have an adult female then it is often advised to silicone a glass panel in at the hot end in order to create a deep layer of peat/sand for a nesting site, to prevent potential egg binding as females will chicken lay even if a male is not present.  The majority of turtles will dig nest sites up to 30cm in deep so this should always be taken into consideration when designing your enclosure. In the very least the basking site should allow the turtles to be able to climb clear of the water and dry their shells completely as this aids in reducing fungal and bacterial shell problems.  Nesting sites can be added later if youngsters are being bought.

Heating/lighting: - Heating is best provided by an over head heat source such as a ceramic heater on a thermostat, with daytime temperatures being set for 30^oC during the day and turned down to 20^oC on the night time.  Water heaters should be kept at 22 to 24^oC for youngsters and 20^oC for adults, the majority of turtles will reduce their feeding if the water temperature falls below 16^oC for too long.  UVB lighting is essential for these species, a 5.0, 8.0 or 10.0 is suitable depending upon the distance from the turtle when it is basking.  This should be left on for twelve hours per day and replaced every six to seven months.

Correct care details for commonly kept turtles and terrapins (for one thing, dont keep with Alligators!!)

Water/Filtration: - Water depth is a common mistake, never have water over around a few inches for youngsters and adults doesn’t really matter as long as they can climb out with ease to rest.  Map Turtles are particularly prone to water quality so a good filter should always be used and the water should be cleaned regularly, to prevent ammonia and other toxins building up.  As an adult, larger filters are more efficient at maintaining water quality, good ones to use are Fluval or Koi filters. 

Food: - One common problem that people get with juvenile turtles particularly when purchased very young is getting them to feed. If all the husbandry is set up correctly then usually moving food such as small fish, woodlice, insects, worms, etc will get a feeding response.  Dried food is ok as treats but should never be relied upon entirely, fresh foods are always best.

Once the turtle is feeding as varied a diet as possible should be provided, suitable foods include: - Fishes, earthworms, crickets, locusts, waxworms, mealworms (not too often as tough chitin exoskeleton is hard to digest), snails, pond weeds, water cress (along with other green plant matter), dandelions, shell fish (rinsed well), prawns (preferably with shells on), small rodents, Bloodworm (should be used sparingly as it has been linked to digestive problems), small amounts of liver, fruits are occasionally taken.  Most youngsters start off as being primarily carnivorous leading onto a more omnivorous diet as adults.  Young should be fed daily with adults being fed every other day.  Using an external feeding bowl can reduce the problem of dirty water, an un-used washing up bowl is ideal for this purpose.  This should be partly filled with tepid water and they should be placed into it with their food, if they are left in these for approximately half an hour to an hour after feeding has finished then most of the faecal matter will be passed out of the system this can be disposed of along with the uneaten food.  They should then be wiped down and returned to their homes.

If all shops and traders supplied a brief care guide on the species of turtle when they are sold then maybe people will stop impulse buying baby turtles and start getting things set up correctly for them.