New England Herpetological Society
500 Columbian Street, Weymouth, MA 02190 Herpline: (617)789-5800
Aquatic Turtle Care Sheet
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Snappers, Softshells, Mata-matas, etc.
CAGING: An ordinary aquarium will do as housing for turtles. The aquarium should be at least three times as long as the turtle. These turtles are aggressive, and should be kept one per tank; if keeping more than one turtle per tank is necessary, allow at least 5 times each turtle's area (5 x length of turtle x width of turtle) for each additional turtle. The water should be deep enough to cover the turtle, but shallow enough so that the turtle can stretch its head out of the water. No dry area is necessary, unless you plan to breed your turtles. If you do plan to breed your turtles, they will require an area of dirt inwhich to bury the eggs. Avoid rough surfaces which can abrade the turtle's shell, leading to infection.
All turtles must have natural sunlight or an artificial equivalent, such as a Vita-LiteTM. They require the ultraviolet rays such sources produce in order to metabolize vitamins. The light should be hung no more than 12 inches above the dry platform, with no glass or plastic between the light and the tank. Ordinary glass and plastic block the ultraviolet light. The light should be on at least 2 hours each day.
WATER: These turtles do not require a separate water dish; they will drink from the tank. Therefore, the water must be kept clean. If you choose to feed them in their home tanks, you will need a filter system. Get one at least twice as large as would be needed for a tank of fish the same size as your turtle tank. (Under-gravel filters don't work with turtles.) Even so, you will have to manually change the water, approximately once a week. If the water is not filtered, you will need to change it every other day.
TEMPERATURE: These turtles require moderate temperatures. The water should be heated to 72 to 82 degrees F by a protected aquarium heater. Another option is to hang a 60 or 75 watt spot light above one end of the tank. The water temperature can be regulated by varying the wattage of the bulb and its distance above the water. If your turtle is inactive, it's too cold.
FOOD: Some aquatic turtles are omnivorous, and will enjoy small amounts of vegetable foods as well as meat. Their main food source is fish, preferably live, and definitely whole. Many enjoy worms, snails (whole, including the shell), small frogs, and baby mice. They may also take floating food pellets formulated specifically for turtles. The pellets are both convenient and a balanced diet. The pellets, worms, and snails are particularly good for growing, young turtles, as they are high in calcium. These turtles must be fed in the water, they will not eat on land.
Do not hand-feed these turtles! They will come to associate fingers with food, and this will lead to bitten fingers. Many people find it easier to feed their turtles in a separate tank, leaving them there long enough to allow the turtles to defecate. This makes it much easier to keep the turtle's home clean.
HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage thoroughly with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: Be careful when handling these turtles; they are fast, and have long necks. Aquatic turtles generally don't enjoy being handled. Most will bite; sometimes with serious results. In any case, it is not good to handle them too often, as the stress can lead to the turtle becoming ill. Be careful not to drop them; a cracked shell can cause deadly infections.
Always wash your hands after handling your turtle, before touching anything else (especially food or your face). This will prevent any chance of your becoming ill due to bacteria carried by the turtle.
Semi-aquatic Turtle Care Sheet
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Slider, Map, Chicken, Mud, Musk, Blandings, Painted turtles, etc.
CAGING: An ordinary aquarium will do as housing for turtles. The aquarium should be at least three times as long as the largest turtle; if keeping more than one turtle per tank, allow 5 times each turtle's area (5 x length of turtle x width of turtle) for each additional turtle. The water should be at least as deep as the largest turtle is wide. The water portion should be at least half the tank, but there must also be a dry portion. The dry part can be as simple as a platform resting on two blocks, but it must be easily accessible and smooth. If you plan to breed turtles, they will require an area of dirt in which to bury the eggs. Avoid rough surfaces which can abrade the turtle's shell, leading to infection.
All turtles must have natural sunlight or an artificial equivalent, such as a Vita-LiteTM. They require the ultraviolet rays such sources produce in order to metabolize vitamins. The light should be hung no more than 12 inches above the dry platform, with no glass or plastic between the light and the tank. Ordinary glass and plastic block the ultraviolet light. The light should be on at least 2 hours each day.
WATER: These turtles do not require a separate water dish; they will drink from the tank. Therefore, the water must be kept clean. If you choose to feed them in their home tanks, you will need a filter system. Get one at least twice as large as would be needed for a tank of fish the same size as your turtle tank. (Under-gravel filters don't work with turtles.) Even so, you will have to manually change the water, approximately once a week. If the water is not filtered, you will need to change it every other day.
TEMPERATURE: These turtles require moderate temperatures. The water should be heated to 72 to 82 F degrees by a protected aquarium heater. The dry portion should have a spot light hung above it to provide a warmer (85-90 degrees F) basking spot during the day. If your turtle is inactive, it's too cold.
FOOD: Most semi-aquatic turtles are omnivorous, and will enjoy small amounts of vegetable foods as well as meat. Their main food source is fish, preferably live, and definitely whole. Many enjoy worms, snails (whole, including the shell), small frogs, and baby mice. They may also take floating food pellets formulated specifically for turtles. The pellets are both convenient and a balanced diet. The pellets, worms, and snails are particularly good for growing, young turtles, as they are high in calcium. These turtles must be fed in the water, they will not eat on land.
Many people find it easier to feed their turtles in a separate tank, leaving them there long enough to allow the turtles to defecate. This makes it much easier to keep the turtle's home clean.
HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage thoroughly with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: Turtles generally don't enjoy being handled, but don't mind it too much. Most will simply pull their heads in and flail their legs. Some will bite; sometimes with serious results. And a few will release a foul smelling fluid; hence the name Musk or Stinkpot turtles. (They stop doing that, eventually.) In any case, it is not good to handle them too often, as the stress can lead to the turtle becoming ill. Be careful not to drop them; a racked shell can cause deadly infections. Always wash your hands after handling your turtle, before touching anything else (especially food or your face). This will prevent any chance of your becoming ill due to bacteria carried by the turtle.
Wood and Box Turtle Care Sheet
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Terrapene, Cuora, Rhinoclemmys species
CAGING: An ordinary aquarium will do as housing for turtles. The aquarium should be at least three times as long as the turtle. These turtles are aggressive, and should be kept one per tank; if keeping more than one turtle per tank is necessary, allow at least 5 times each turtle's area (5 x length of turtle x width of turtle) for each additional turtle. These are minimum requirements; the larger the cage, the happier the turtle. Home-made cages may be more practical in terms of cost and shape. Provision must be made for a water tray in which your turtle can sit and soak. The water level should not be deeper than the turtle's head. Astroturf or newspaper make good liners for the cage. Decorations such as rocks and plants may be used, but avoid rough surfaces which can abrade the turtle's shell, leading to infection.
Outdoor pens are good if space is available. Wood and Box turtles can climb fences, or dig under them, so bury the bottom of the fence and put a rim around the inside top of the fence. A shady area to escape the sun and a water tray must be provided. Be sure that plants and decorations do not provide a "ladder" over the fence!
All turtles must have natural sunlight or an artificial equivalent, such as a Vita-Lite. They require the ultraviolet rays such sources produce in order to metabolize vitamins. The light should be hung no more than 12 inches above the dry platform, with no glass or plastic between the light and the tank. Ordinary glass and plastic block the ultraviolet light. The light should be on at least 2 hours each day.
WATER: The water tray must be cleaned frequently, usually daily. These turtles tend to defecate in the water.
TEMPERATURE: These turtles require moderate temperatures. The cage should be heated to 72 to 82 degrees F by an under-cage heating pad or overhead lights. The dry portion should have a spot light hung above it to provide a warmer (85-90 degrees F) basking spot during the day. If your turtle is inactive, it's too cold.
FOOD: Wood and Box turtles are omnivorous. Earthworms, crickets, raw meat, fruits such as bananas, tomatoes, pears, and strawberries, and vegetables such as corn, spinach, mushrooms, and broccoli are all good foods. Vary the diet frequently, and do not allow the turtle to become fixated on one type of food. It is highly recommended that you supplement the food with vitamin and calcium additives, which are available commercially.
HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage thoroughly with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.
HANDLING: Most turtles don't mind being handled, once in a while. Most will simply pull their heads in and flail their legs. Some will bite. In any case, it is not good to handle them too often, as the stress can lead to the turtle becoming ill. Be careful not to drop them; a cracked shell can cause deadly infections. Always wash your hands after handling your turtle, before touching anything else (especially food or your face). This will prevent any chance of your becoming ill due to bacteria carried by the turtle.