Red Eared slider turtles (Native to Southeast North America ) are the most common type of turtles found in Pet Shops here .
( OK , so I live in ASIA ) . In the wild they tend to be found in ponds etc basking on the banks during a warm spell .
Name: Red Eared Slider
Scientific Name: Trachemys Scripta Elegans
Lifespan : 30 to 40 years in captivity .
Sexing a turtle :
It is hard to sex a turtle when it is young but once a slider gets older other features come into play .
Males : longer claws , they use this to stroke the face of the female when they are trying to court her . Their plastrons
( underside of the turtle ) tend to cave in . This allows them to sit on top of the female during mating . Their tails too are longer and fatter to help them balance during mating .
Females : short front claws . Females of the same age as males tend to be BIGGER than the males . If you have more than one turtle of the same age and one starts growing faster than the others chances are that MAY be a female . Cloaca located nearer to the shell
Size :
Turtles like sliders get big and need a heat lamp if you live in a cold country . Not an all over heat lamp but more of a spot light so that when they have had enough ‘sunshine’ they can move away . These turtles are easily available and many people make the mistake of buying that cute turtle they saw without realising how much care or space it needs . These animals can get to be bigger than a small dinner plate . This is especially true of the females .
Housing :
A common mistake is to dump the turtle into a tank of water with no place for it to rest . A dry basking area is necessary . They are air breathing animals and can drown . I lost one as a kid when I poured the water out of its container and the turtle was swimming under the stream in the sink unable to surface for air.
My own turtles are frankly living in less than ideal conditions because when I got them no one told me that they would get THAT big and how much space they need . I have since moved to a place without a garden and I havent the heart to give them up neither do I approve of releasing them into the wild . Because of their potential size , even one turtle in a 10G tank is plenty . This too is because of the amount of waste they produce and they are messy feeders . A good filter is therefore necessary if you want to keep a Red Earred Slider in an aquarium type of setting .
An adult would however do very well if you had a garden and could build some sort of enclosure for it . This fenced in area must have a fence that goes at least a foot into the soil and thigh high above the ground , because the adult turtle is a digger and climber . An outdoor setting must see that the animal has some sort of shelter so that it can retreat from the elements . Plants in the tank or enclosure must be of the non poisonous type as the turtle may sometimes take it for salad .
Feeding :
Baby turtles tend to need a high protein diet and less of vegetable matter . They can be fed daily but this means more water changes .
Once the turtle reaches its teens the feeds can be cut down to every other day and eventually as the turtle reaches adulthood , it needs to be fed only once or twice a week . An obese turtle with its flesh spilling out as it tried to tuck in for the night is not a pretty sight .
The adult turtle will also take a diet that is higher in vegetable matter . While a turtle may survive on pellets alone it needs a varied diet to THRIVE . All turtles need calcium for their shell and this needs to be combined with Vit. D from sunlight ( IMHO ) . A lack of calcium will see a
turtle grow up with a soft or deformed shell . If you are unable to provide that element in the form of food , the turtle will need vitamin or calcium supplements.
Unlike the common belief that all turtles are vegetarians , they are actually omnivores and cannot survive on a diet of Kang Kong ( water spinach ) or lettuce . A good idea would be to alternate feeds offering at least two or three vegetables per meal . Fruit can also be given . Sliders are notoriously fussy eaters and if offered meat at a meal they may neglect to eat their greens . So in usually feed it vegetables first then offer the protein . Vegetables should be washed to get rid of any pesticides that may linger .
Please do not feed your turtle raw meat even though they like it as there is a high risk of parasite infection . This will also foul up the water fast . Insects like crickets can be offered as an occasional treat likewise for snails . I have an abundance of apple snails and ramshorns that I drop into their cage once in a long while and they will chow down on them shell and all which takes care of the calcium element.
Breeding :
A pair of courting turtles is cute to watch . The male will stroke the female and make a general nuisance of himself as she tries to eat sleep or just bask . If she is willing they may mate . The female may be ‘pregnant’ for two or three months before laying her eggs . THEN a warm nesting place with damp soil must be provided . Some people thought have had success hatching the eggs artificially in a closed tupperwear with damp soil but I am not in a position to comment on this . However I do know that if the eggs must be moved they must be repositioned in the same position that they were laid . They will take about three months to hatch.
Last note :
A turtle is a long term commitment . Please give it careful thought before buying one . What gets to me is that there is little veterinary care available for them where I live yet they are sold openly in all wet markets . They are not disposable pets .
References
<http://www.exploratorium.edu/lagoon/redear.html>
<http://geocities.datacellar.net/Heartland/1807/downloads/PetStarterKit/PSK08.htm>
<http://gordasturtletank.homestead.com/files/index.htm>
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