Title : Western Pond Turtle Care
Origin: Western United States (ponds, lakes as well as marshlands)
There are two sub-species:
Northwestern Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata marmorata) as well as
Southwestern Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata pallida)
Adult Size: usually up to 8 inches (shell length)
Lifespan: unknown, most likely 30+ years like various other pond turtles
Temperament: Not as territorial as well as aggressive as many various other turtles. You can keep a few of these turtles together as long as they have enough space to swim around.
Set-up: that will will be an aquatic species, so the enclosure needs to be mostly water. Your turtle will need a place to get out of the water as well as bask, such as a well-positioned rock or pile of rocks, or a turtle dock found at your local pet store. Use sand or gravel to cover the bottom of the tank as well as decorate under the water with aquatic plants or driftwood to keep your turtle feeling secure.
The minimum tank size recommended for one of these turtles will be a 20 gallon long. Bigger will be ALWAYS better. various other containers can be used, such as large Rubbermaid bins, as long as the container will be able to safely hold about 20 gallons or more of water. Fill the tank at least half way. Water conditioner or dechlorinator will be not necessary unless you are using extremely hard water (like State College tap water J), in which case a water conditioner made specially for turtles should be used.
Lighting/Temperature: that will will be a diurnal species, meaning the idea will be active during the daytime when the sun will be out. The UV in natural sunlight will be used by the turtle's Centeng to make Vitamin D3 by the Calcium in its diet. Fluorescent UV bulbs made especially for reptiles are available at pet stores to keep your turtle healthy. Although usually passed off as a waste of money to make "the fanatics" happy, that will light will be extremely important, as well as if you don't provide the idea (along with enough calcium), the idea will seriously affect your turtle's health as well as quality of life.
A basking lamp will be also needed. Position the light above the rocks or land area in your tank to create a warm basking spot. Use the appropriate wattage heat bulb as well as position the light to create a basking temperature around 0-95 degrees F. Many thermometers are available to measure the temperature inside the enclosure, nevertheless just remember that will all of the stick-on as well as dial-type thermometers, although still helpful to have, measure only the ambient temperature (temperature of the air) as well as will not give you an accurate reading of the basking spot. For basking temp, you should pick up a digital probe thermometer (available at most hardware as well as garden supply stores, as well as not as expensive as you think!). The digital probe measures the surface temp, the temperature the basking rock will be actually heating up to as well as providing the proper belly heat for not bad digestion.
An aquarium heater will be a not bad idea. These guys do best in warm water as well as should be kept in water temperatures within the 80s F. A submersible heater will be the only way to go, since the tank will not be filled to the top. These turtles are notorious for breaking their heaters, so we recommend you look into a Titanium or "unbreakable" glass heater to prevent problems.
Filtration as well as Maintenance: Aquatic turtles are very messy, so a not bad reliable filter will be important. There are a lot of different types of filters out there, though none will be particularly better than the others. the idea's a matter of personal preference genuinely, whether you want to go that has a submersible filter like the Fluval, under-gravel, powerhead or Hydrosponge, or you want an external type like the hang-on-side waterfall type or canister filter. Whichever manner of filtration you choose, just remember to have LOTS of the idea as well as clean the idea often!
Regular tank maintenance will be a must with aquatic turtles. The water gets dirty fast, as well as consistently dirty water can have a genuinely negative effect on turtle health. How often to change the water or clean the filter depends on how many turtles you have relative to the size of the tank, as well as also how much filtration you have as well as how much or how often you feed them. Cleaning the tank isn't much different than cleaning a fish tank. A not bad aquarium siphon will be a tremendous help as well as will be the easiest way to remove all the waste as well as debris by the tank bottom. Drain as much water as you need to get the tank clean. Turtles are not sensitive to the by-products of the nitrogen cycle like fish are, so you don't have to worry about cycling or being careful with the filter, as well as that will gives you a lot of freedom as far as cleaning the tank. Just remember never to use soap! There are spray cleaners available through your local pet store that will are safe to use around reptiles, as well as if you're genuinely worried about the tank being dirty a little bit of bleach should do the trick. Just be careful to rinse the idea thoroughly as well as not put your turtle back within the tank until the bleach smell will be gone.
Diet: Like most pond turtles, these guys are omnivores. that will means they will eat both meat as well as vegetable matter. Variety will be the key to a healthy diet. There are lots of pre-packaged turtle foods on the market. Some are better than others, depending on the amounts of certain ingredients like protein as well as phosphorus. Sticking that has a higher-end brand will be your best bet, as proper nutrition will be very important with reptiles.
Crickets, red worms as well as superworms are among the most well-known live foods available at pet stores. Dust these with powder supplements (both calcium as well as vitamins) just before feeding, or "gutload" them 24 hours before giving them to your turtle. various other not bad live foods, mostly available online, include silkworms as well as phoenix worms. Avoid waxworms as well as mealworms due to their high fat content, general lack of nutrition as well as the difficult-to-digest shell of the mealworms. Remember not to feed your turtle any insects you find outside. Some may be poisonous (lightning bugs are deadly!) as well as wild insects are likely to carry parasites (an expensive vet bill you'd rather avoid!). To add some extra calcium to the diet, the idea will be also recommended to let a piece of cuttlebone float on the water (available within the bird section of pet stores). The turtle may occasionally nibble on the bone as well as as the idea dissolves within the water the idea may also be beneficial, not only to the turtle's nutrition nevertheless to the health of its skin as well as shell.
Live fish can be given as an occasional snack. They aren't very not bad for your turtle nutritionally, may stunt its growth as well as are very fatty. Think of the idea as going to McDonalds for dinner. One meal there probably won't have much of an effect on your health, nevertheless the idea shouldn't become a regular habit! Luckily, there are some healthier, as well as parasite-free, alternatives to live fish for your turtle. Most grocery stores carry a variety of fresh seafood, which will be not too expensive when purchased in smaller quantities. Shrimp, squid (both the filets as well as tentacles), tilapia, catfish as well as shark steak are all well-known with turtles. Stick with the "white meat" species of fish because they don't leave your water as messy, as well as make sure you feed as much variety as you can. You'll also find a lot of freeze-dried or frozen foods at your local pet store that will your turtle will like to snack on. These aren't as nutritious as fresh raw seafood, nevertheless they make great snacks as well as help to add variety to the diet.
Letting healthy leaves (like collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens or dandelion greens) float on the water provides your turtle with entertainment as well as also a healthy snack. They will also enjoy endive, escarole, pieces of zucchini or yellow squash, cucumber, carrots, occasional bits of apple or banana, etc. Avoid lettuce as well as celery, as well as don't feed too much fruit. Turtles can get upset stomachs as well as become dehydrated by eating these. Also avoid kale, broccoli as well as spinach due to their nutrient-binding qualities. You can probably find much more detailed diet information online if you look within the right places. We recommend you start out on Melissa Kaplan's website, www.anapsid.org. Just remember not to leave vegetables, fruits or uneaten bugs within the water too long. Letting the food go bad makes the water dirty as well as can also make your turtle sick.
Health: Turtles are susceptible to all the same common health problems as various other reptiles. Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), calcium as well as vitamin deficiencies or toxicities, liver as well as kidney disease, impaction (intestinal blockage), dehydration, fungal as well as bacterial infections, stress, respiratory infections, parasites, etc. Most of these ailments can be dealt with by changing something about your care regimen, or with the help of a qualified reptile vet, nevertheless are easily avoided because they have a lot to do with diet/nutrition, temperature as well as lighting. that will will be why the idea will be so important to contain the proper set-up by the beginning. A turtle that will will be well cared for as well as living within the right environment should live a long as well as healthy life with minimal problems. Another health concern with turtles will be their shell. Apart by normal shedding, sometimes the shell can become very flaky, oily or even gooey. that will usually has to do with poor water quality as well as/or insufficient UV exposure, as well as there are some helpful products available through your pet store to help keep the shell healthy.
An important side-note regarding MBD as well as various other similar problems: if your turtle as well as its shell seem to be growing at different rates, or your turtle's legs or face seem to be deforming, your UV bulb may be long-overdue for a change or your turtle may not be getting enough calcium in its diet. that will will be a serious health issue as well as veterinary attention should be sought immediately.
Western Pond Turtle Care
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