Saturday, November 12, 2011

Red Eared Slider (Chrysemys scripta elegans)



Natural Environment
United States - from Gulf of Mexico to East Coast to Western Texas.
Also found in other regions most likely because of people releasing pet turtles into the wild.

These turtles spend most of their lives in or around water. They can be found in lakes and rivers but prefer marshes, ponds, and other slow moving water. Basically areas that can provide adequate food and basking areas. RES enjoy rocks, logs, and other surfaces above water that allow them places to bathe in the sun. Like other reptiles keeping warm is essential. Turtles found in the northern regions will hibernate.

Sadly though they’re the most popular semi aquatic turtle they are also the most abandoned and poorly cared for. Many don’t realize the proper care  of these turtles can be more complicated then they originally thought.


Life expectancy
50-70 years.


Size: 
Hatchlings - Approximately 1 inch in diameter.
Adults - Can grow as large as 12 inches in length.
Note: It’s illegal in the United States for pet stores to sell these turtles if their shells are less then 4 inches in diameter.


Sexual differences: 
In captivity generally they reach sexual maturity between 2-4 years old. In the wild females sometimes don’t mature until 5-7 years. Females are usually larger than the males. Generally it’s difficult to tell until your turtle reaches 3-5 years of age.


Males - Typically sporting longer front claws, shell is concaved on the bottom, tail is fatter and longer. Their vent opening is farther from the body and closer to the tail’s tip.

Females - Claws are shorter, shell bottom is flat, shorter tails, vent is closer to the body. They are also bigger then males.


Color: 
RES skin is green with bright yellow stripes. Some sliders may not be sporting the red patch behind their eyes. Most do and that’s how got their name.  Sometimes they also have a patch of red on the top of their head.  They have webbed feet with strong claws. Hatchling shells are green with a fine pattern of  yellow-green sometimes dark green markings. When they mature the carapace may be yellow or olive green. The fine pattern changes into dark lines or patches on each scute. Some portions of their shell may have yellow, white, or red. As a turtle ages the lines and patches of color may slowly disappear eventually resulting in a uniform dark olive green or greenish-brown. Some male s will become uniformly dark gray or black also known as melanistic.

Through breeding two other color morphs have been developed. One is lighter in color with varying amounts of red or yellow. This particular color formation is known as pastel. The other morph is albino. Juveniles are bright yellow with the color fading as the turtle ages.


Most common mistakes:
Potential turtle owners don‘t realize that pet stores don’t know much about the animals that they sell. These animals are usually purchased in large quantities from the cheapest dealers. That results in sales of inbred or wild caught animals. Sometimes these animals are even illegal to sell. Other times the health and wellbeing of the animals aren’t considered.
Hatchlings are difficult to care for. They can become sick easily. Often the disease rapidly progresses to death. Sadly about 90% of all baby turtles sold die within the first year.
Many don’t know the proper environment needed for turtles. Mistakenly many think turtles only need a 10-20 gallon tank with some water with just a little plastic island to crawl onto.


Housing
Ideally year round outdoor housing is the best choice for a turtle. However, that is not always obtainable. In that case there are ways of making a adequate environment indoors. If they aren’t house outdoor their natural environment will need to be mimicked. Warm temps, water for swimming, and a basking area are essential.

They can be housed in aquariums made of glass or acrylic. Heavy duty plastic tubs, wading pools, stock tanks, or homemade enclosures can also be used. The options are only limited to your creativity and budget.
Don’t forget they will grow and will need a large enclosure. Eventually they’ll need at least a 55 gallon aquarium. To avoid having to keep upgrading as they grow it may be more worthwhile to start out big. The bigger the better.

The swimming area for sliders should be five times longer then the turtle’s shell length, three times wider, and two times as deep. The dry area for basking should be twice the length of the turtle.


Furnishing 
Turtles need a safe easy way to exit the water. The basking sites should be totally out of the water. Substrate of large smooth aquarium gravel can be used to form a slope to dry land. Cork bark, driftwood, a piece of plexi-glass glued to the side of the enclosure or smooth rocks can be used for basking.

Be sure to top the enclosure with a tight fitting screen. This prevents turtles from escaping, objects falling in, and predators getting to them.


Lighting 
Warm basking area is needed to help with digestion. This can be provided by using an incandescent spot light or a mercury vapor bulb made for reptiles.

The should also have exposure to UVB. It’s not certain how much is required for turtles. UVB provides vitamin D3 which helps in the absorption of calcium. Without this essential vitamin improper growth, soft shells, or even death can result. Since it’s not feasible for many turtle owners to provide sun for their turtles year round a UVB bulb can be purchased.

Here’s some options on how to provide both basking and UVB lighting.
Reptile florescent tubes like Repti-Sun 7.0 provides the needed UVB and can be paired up with an incandescent basking light to provide the heat needed for proper digestion.
Con of this set up - Dual lighting is needed.  Florescent tubes need replacement approx every 6 months. Also the bulb and basking light must be within 12 inches of each other to be effective.
Another alternative is using one bulb that provides both basking and UVB. This can done by using a Mercury Vapor bulb specifically made for reptiles. Used correctly these bulbs can fulfill both requirements.
Con of this set up - The cost is high. It’s about twice as much as a florescent bulb. It needs to be replaced every year.

Whichever lighting scenario you choose it’s recommended to use a timer. By doing this you can be sure the turtle gets the 12-14 hours of light it requires daily.

Do know that incandescent lights, non reptile florescent tubes, and
“Full Spectrum” don’t supply UVB.

Temperature
Maintaining proper temperatures is essential to a turtle’s health.
The enclosure should be around 75. The dry basking area should be around 85-87. Water temps should be around 75-82.

If these areas are not warm enough the turtle may not leave the water to dry off and digest food. Fungal and bacterial diseases along with a loss of appetite can be the result.

Babies and ill turtles require water temps around 82-85.


Water 
Turtles use their water to swim, drink, and go to the bathroom. Feeding your turtle in a separate container can help reduce some of the mess. However, a good filter and frequent water changes are still needed. The filter can’t handle all the waste the turtle puts out. Much of this sinks to the bottom Water changes for 25-50% at least once a week will be required.

Also complete tank cleaning and disinfecting should be at least every three weeks. Be sure to completely remove everything from the tank. Wash all the contents minus any animals and live plants. Some recommend at 10% bleach to 90% water solution. Others suggest vinegar. Whichever method you choose be sure to thoroughly rinse and allow time to dry before replacing it back into the enclosure.


Diet 
Young sliders eat mostly animal proteins. As they get older more vegetative matter is consumed.

In captivity we try to replicate their natural diet as much as is possible.
You should feed them a variety to ensure that they are getting what they need nutritionally although there are no studies that say exactly what that is.


Animal Proteins (25–50% of diet)
Vegetable Matter (50-75% of diet)
Beef Heart
Chicken
Crayfish
Crickets
Earthworms
Feeder Goldfish
Fresh Water Fish
Frozen Trout
Guppies
Insects
Mealworms
Night Crawlers
Small Fish
Small Frogs
Snails
Tadpoles
Toads
Wax Worms
Anacharis
Apples
Blueberries
Butternut Squash
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Carrot Tops
Chickweed
Collard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Dark Leafy Greens
Duck Weed
Endive
Fruit
Green Beans
Mulberry Tree Leaves
Mustard Greens
Strawberries
Water Hyacinths
Water Lettuce
Water Lilies
Watercress

Commercial Turtle Pellets (15–25% of diet if at all)
Most commercial pellets are high in fats and proteins. They should be used only in limited amounts if at all. It could lead to an over weight turtle. It’d be better to offer real food with vitamin supplements.


Feeding 
Turtles should only be fed what they will eat in a 20-30 minute time frame. Also the amount should be equal to the size of their neck and head. Since they don’t produce saliva that’s needed to swallow they must be fed in water. This can be the water they live in or water of the same temperature in another enclosure.


Vitamins
It’s recommended that a supplement be used since it’s not known what a turtle’s exact nutritional needs are. RepCal’s Herptivite is a good reptile supplement that should be added 2-3 times weekly.


Calcium 
Providing some kind of calcium is important for proper shell and bone growth. There’s a lot of options but the most recommended are calcium blocks or cuttlebones. Turtles will gnaw on them when needed if you place them near the water.


Temperament
It’s not unusual for them to spend their first days in their shells before acclimating to their environment. In time they begin to recognize you as their food provider. They’ll start greeting you with anticipation. Remember there’s always a chance you may get bitten if they feel threatened.


Handling 
Be sure to gently handle them with proper support given to their body and legs. It’s best if you do this with both hands just to be on the safe side. Turtles could become seriously or fatally injured if they were to fall. If something startles them they may struggle and you could end up with scratches.

Don’t forget to always wash before and after handling any reptile. Any child younger then five shouldn’t handle turtles due to the risk of disease. Older children should always be supervised and taught the proper way to handle turtles.


Health 
Like many small animals and reptiles turtles can become sick for awhile before showing symptoms. Often by the time it’s noticed the situation is quite serious. If any of these symptoms happen and it’s not pinpointed to a new stress factor contact vet that specifically deals with turtles.

  • Cracked or broken shell
  • Swollen eyes, cheeks, or neck
  • Mucus around the nose or mouth
  • Open mouth breathing 
  • Lethargic
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipated
  • Soft shell 
  • Gaping 
  • Red object protruding from cloaca 
  • Not eating (even in proper temps)



Note - There’s many opinions, conflicting information, and care sheets out there for the way to care for turtles. As with any animal it’s important to always do your research. Be sure to check out many sources. 

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