WATER TURTLE CARE SHEET
No.
SDTTS-002G
Written by
The San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society
(619) 593-2123
website: www.sdturtle.org
With
contributions from
Kim
Thomas, Larry Bottroff, Vern Kirchman,
Darlynn Lafler, Susan
Murphy, Steve Gilmore, Carol Wallace and Grace Rickard
ENTIRE
CONTENTS OR ANY PART THEREOF MAY BE REPRODUCED WITH DIRECT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO
THE SAN DIEGO TURTLE AND TORTOISE SOCIETY
GENERAL:
There
are many varieties of water turtles. They are cold-blooded reptiles and require
a great deal of care and attention to keep them healthy. The care of water
turtles is complex. Before you obtain your pet turtle, you should acquaint
yourself with its requirements and have its living quarters prepared. This care
sheet has been prepared to assist you in providing proper care and maintenance
of your turtle. For softshell turtle, see our Softshell Turtle Care Sheet, No. SDTTS-pp7.
TEMPERATURE
Turtles become sluggish as temperatures drop and
they stop eating. The correct temperature for your specific type of turtle will
be determined by when it east well but is not overactive. This is usually
between 70 degrees F and 80 degrees F. Many species do very well at room
temperature, but those from warmer climates require a heat source; one to fit
your particular needs should be found. Large tanks and outdoor ponds require
specially made apparatuses. Take care to ensure that air and water temperature
are close to the same.
HOUSING
The kind of housing depends on the type, number
and size of turtles you have. For two or three hatchlings, a medium-size
aquarium will do for a short time. For larger turtles, at least a 50-gallon
tank or a pond is needed. Glass aquariums, hard plastic kiddy pools, plastic
stock watering troughs, or smooth cement ponds are recommended. Do not use
metal containers, because they may harm your turtle. Water filters, covers and
plants may be added. Bottom covering looks nice but makes cleaning a chore. If
a bottom covering is used, make sure it is non-toxic, non-abrasive and cannot
be swallowed by your turtle. Water depth is not critical, but it must be at
least twice as deep as the turtle is high. Rain water is best, but tap water
can be used if you let it sit for 8 hours or overnight to allow the chlorine to
dissipate. Try to place the turtle in water of the same temperature it was
removed from. A place where the turtle can easily get out of the water to dry
off and be in sunlight MUST be provided. We recommend constructing a land area
for basking.
LIGHT
Sunlight is necessary for good health. If
possible, turtles should be able to get at least two to four hours of direct
sunlight on a basking surface each day. Light through windows and household
bulbs are not beneficial because the ultraviolet rays are lost. We recommend
the use of Vita-Lite bulbs which are very beneficial for the turtles. They
should be on for eight to 12 hours each day.
BUILDING A POND
Select an outside area which gets both sun and
shade throughout the day. The shape and design of the pond is optional. The
depth can range from six inches in the shallow part to 24 inches in the deep
end, where you may want to place a drain and filter. The deeper the pond,
longer the water will retain heat during the cool winter months.
Draw the shape of the pond in the dirt prior to
excavation. Then remove the soil. It is best to taper the sides of the pond to
allow easy access for the turtles. In the deep end of the pond place a drain
that extends into a lower section of your yard. PVC pipe, two inches in
diameter, works very well and is easily available at hardware stores. On the
other end of the drain place a threaded cap. This will allow you to drain the pond
easily when cleaning is needed. Next, lay wire mesh in the bottom of the
excavated area. This will provide strength to the concrete. You can buy
ready-mix concrete or mix your own with cement and sand. Pour the cement in
sections over the wire to conform to your pond design. Fill around and below
the drain. The concrete should be between 5 and 6 inches thick depending upon
the size of the pond. Once the cement is poured, seal it with a mixture of pure
cement and water. This will make the pond surface smooth and reduce abrasions
on the shell surface of your turtles. After the cement has hardened, fill the
pond with water to draw out the excess lime.
POND ENCLOSURES
The enclosure is important in order to keep your
turtles safe from predators and to provide an area from which they cannot
escape. A smooth material, such as Alsynite or aluminum siding, works well
because the turtles cannot climb over. Alsynite comes in a variety of
attractive colors. Materials such as wire, wood or rock are attractive, but not
always escape proof.
The fence materials can be cut in sections or
purchased in rolls. If you have large adult turtles, a fence height from 12 to
16 inches above the ground is recommended. The fence material can be bolted to
24-inch wooden stakes driven in to the soil on the outside of the fence every
one or two feet. Inside the enclosure provide sand and dirt for nesting areas
for adult gravid female turtles. Logs and ornamental rocks can be added for
basking areas.
POND FILTERS
The cleaner you keep the pond, the healthier your
turtles will be. It is easy to build your own filter. It can be placed in the
deep end of the pond to filter and circulate the pool water.
Materials:
The following
items are needed — wire mesh; rocks; filter floss material for sale at any pet
store; a submersible pump, available at pet stores and nurseries (they vary in
size from 170 to 430 gallons per hour); and a plastic or metal container of any
shape. Its size depends on the size of the pond and the number of turtles you have
in it. The larger the pond size, or number of turtles, the larger the container
must be to perform efficiently. Some filters 24 inches by 30 inches perform
very well in a pond that is 30 feet long by 5 feet wide, with the deep end
being 24 inches. The same filter has been known to work well in 200 to 600
gallon ponds.
Note: UV light in the filter
line helps kill harmful bacteria.
Assembly:
Place the
container in a flat area in the deep end of the pond with the top above the
water line. Place rocks in the bottom of the container to weigh it down. Place
the pump in the bottom of the container. Drill an opening for the outlet of the
pump in the bottom of the container. Form the wire mesh over the rocks and pump
inside the container. Fill the area between the wire mesh and the container
with filter floss material. Next place filter floss over the entire wire mesh
to form the filter area. Place a second layer of wire mesh over the floss in
order to compact the filter. Place a heavy object, such as a rock, on top of
the wire mesh to hold it in place.
Some koi pond filters
work quite well also.
Near the top of the container, at the water line,
cut an opening to allow the intake of water from the pond into the filter. With
pump running, the pond can be filtered & water circulated simultaneously.
The filter material can be washed out when necessary with a garden hose. This
material lasts well and can be used time and time again.
For easy accessibility, it may be possible to run
an electrical conduit from your house to an electrical box inside the turtle
enclosure. This is extremely handy for servicing circulating pumps, electric
lights and heaters.
KEEPING TURTLES OUTSIDE DURING THE WINTER
In the San Diego area it is not wise to attempt hibernating
turtles. It is not cold enough for them to achieve total hibernation, but is
cold enough to keep them from eating. Under these conditions they can become
seriously ill.
With the drop of air temperature during the fall
and winter months in Southern California, turtles are exposed to considerably
colder conditions. These conditions cause a lot of stress to your turtles and
potential disease problems, such as pneumonia. This exposure is more critical
in the inland valleys, where freezing temperatures are common. In order to
provide adequate housing, it is necessary to heat the pond to protect the
turtles against rapid temperature drops and bad weather conditions.
Keep track of the weight of your turtles during
the winter months. If your turtle feels
light, he has probably stopped feeding.
You’ll need to bring him inside and raise the temperature to encourage
eating.
In small ponds it may be feasible to use a small
commercial heater (100to 200 watts) to heat the water. However, in ponds in
excess of 100 gallons, this is impractical because the overnight heat loss is
too great. Large commercial heaters are not available, and if they were they
would be very expensive to use.
A more practical and less expensive way of heating
your pond area and the water, and also to keep the rain out, is by using clear
plastic to produce a “greenhouse effect”. This is accomplished by making a
reinforced lattice around your pond enclosure to support the plastic. This
lattice can be constructed with half-inch PVC pipe. An industrial
six-millimeter thickness for the clear plastic is recommended because it is
durable and will last one to two years. The plastic sheet can be anchored with
blocks or rocks. During the nights the pond should be entirely covered; but
during the day, only partially covered. This method insulates well against the
cold temperatures during the night, while allowing moderate heating during the
day.
SPECIAL CASES
(A) Different species can
usually live together comfortably, but it is often best to separate aggressive
turtles, and/or ones with great differences in size and/or ones requiring
different temperatures.
(B) Diamondback terrapins
normally live in brackish water, so NO other turtles should be in with this
species. See our Diamondback Terrapin Care Sheet, No. SDTTS-012.
(C) Some oriental species
require a specialized diet, such as the Malaysian Snail Eater which eats only
(you guessed it!) snails.
(D) Matamata turtles are poor
swimmers.
FEEDING
Water turtles must eat in the water.
For most turtles a diet of ¾ meat and ¼ vegetable
is correct. Foods to try are chopped or whole fish, canned dog food, dry dog
food soaked in water and softened (Purina is high in protein, vitamins and
trace elements), dried beef, liver, heart, kidney, earthworms, insects, shrimp
and Purina Trout Chow. Purina Trout
Chow, available from feed stores, is highly recommended. Greens include aquarium greens, endive,
romaine lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli leaves and Chinese cabbage.
Commercially sold, Tetra ReptoMin works well in the water turtle diet. Also, Wardley’s Reptile T.E.N. Floating Food Sticks offer a good balanced
diet.
All foods should be cut or chopped to a size that
can be swallowed easily. All turtles require calcium and phosphorus for proper
shell growth. This can be added to the food or left in the tank by means of a
calcium block or cuttlebone. Vitamins MUST be added if the diet is not varied.
Natural vitamins, available at health food stores, or children’s chewable
vitamins, broken up and put in the food, will help maintain good health.
Especially important is Vitamin A because turtles store only small amounts.
HIBERNATION
This is a natural phenomenon occurring in turtles
that live where the temperature gets very cold. In our Southern California area
it is best to keep captive turtles warm and feeding all year round in order to
bypass hibernation.
SEXING AND BREEDING
It is very difficult to determine the sex of young
turtles, but in adults it is often quite simple. Males usually have long,
tapered tails, which are thick at the base, and in some species, the front
nails are very long. The male is usually smaller than the female and the
cloacal opening is beyond the margin of the carapace. The female has a short
stubby tail, short nails and her cloacal opening is close to the base of the
tail.
Turtles will mate in captivity but their
requirements are often beyond the facilities of most keepers. The mating takes
place in the water. The habits of your particular species should be checked and
suitable enclosure provided.
EGG LAYING
Usually in spring or early summer, the female will
begin pacing, looking for the right spot to lay her eggs. When ready, she will
dig a hole with her back legs, deposit her eggs into the hole and cover them
up. Do not disturb her while she is engaged in these maternal duties. If you
have a fully-grown female turtle, you MUST have a land area for the eggs to be
buried in. Eggs laid in the water die if they are not removed immediately. When
she has returned to the water, and if the eggs are hard, mark an “X” and the
date on the top of each egg as it sits in the ground, with a soft lead pencil
and be CERTAIN that the eggs always remain with the “X” up, even when
transporting them. If an egg should roll over, even once for a short duration,
it probably will not hatch, so BE CAREFUL!
Should you want to incubate the eggs, please refer
to our care sheet titled: “Incubation and
Care of Hatchlings”.
AILMENTS
A turtle kept under proper conditions will seldom
get sick. A healthy turtle should feel heavy for its size, have bright clear
eyes and eat well. Before introducing a new turtle into a community tank, it
should be kept in an antibiotic solution for five days. A water-soluble drug
such as Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride (250 mg)
dissolved in warm water will treat a ten-gallon tank. The solution must be
changed every 12 hours. If a sick turtle is found in your tank or pond, it must
be isolated, its temperature raised to 80 degrees – 85 degrees F and treatment
started. Ailments in water turtles are often difficult to detect. One important
thing to observe is the behavior of your turtles. Look for unusual conduct,
such as lack of appetite, poor equilibrium in the water or continued basking
after lights in the aquarium are turned off, or if outside, basking after dark.
Respiratory Infection:
If you can recognize a respiratory infection
before it becomes pneumonia you may be able to treat it without using
antibiotic injections. The symptoms are swollen eyes with lids shut, off feed,
white mucus dripping from eyes and/or nose, listlessness, open mouth breathing
and/or heavy breathing noises. Parotid abscesses are also associated with
respiratory infections although they may have other causes as well.
Environmental Causes: Removing a turtle from
its high humidity natural climate to live in an arid climate such as Southern
California.
Drastic nightly
temperature drops unlike what the turtle experiences in its natural habitat.
Lack of variety and
nutrients in its diet.
Unclean living conditions.
Habitat too small.
Lack of heat source.
Lack of sunlight and fresh
air.
Stress, such as moving the
turtle from one yard to another.
Prevention is the best medicine; however help may
be possible if you act quickly. Materials needed:
a.
Plastic
sweater box with lid.
b. Heating pad.
c.
Aquarium
thermometer.
Place the heating pad in a secluded area where it
will be undisturbed and set it on the medium setting. Place the sweater box on
the heating pad and place about one inch of water in the sweater box. Heat the
water to a temperature of 95 degrees F.
Place the lid on the sweater box so that it is left open about one inch
and ensure the temperature remains constant at 95 degrees F. If it gets too
warm, slide the sweater box off the heating pad a little until the desired
temperature is achieved. Watch it closely. Place the turtle in the water in the
sweater box. Ensure that the water level is comfortable for the turtle. It
should only have to lift its head slightly to breathe. DO NOT make the turtle
swim. Change the water twice each day. Due to bacterial build-up, it is very
important to keep the water clean.
The purpose is the creation of a high humidity
environment, which will help to re-hydrate the turtle and also help it to
breathe and cleanse orifices. The raised temperature will speed up the turtles’
metabolism helping it to eliminate toxins and encourage its appetite. Watch it
very closely. Within three days the turtle should show improvement. Offer its
favorite food (mealworms are usually most tempting). Trout Chow and fish may be
tried.
If after three days, there is no improvement in
the turtles’ health, seek immediate assistance from a veterinarian
knowledgeable in treating turtles.
After environmental causes are eliminated slowly
re-adjust it to its new habitat for a few hours each day. Return it to the
sweater box for the remainder of the time. Do not return the turtle to the
environment that caused the illness. Studies have shown that raising the
temperature of most reptiles for long periods is the best hospital environment.
Some studies are also addressing the PH level of the turtles’ water for the
prevention or cure of many ailments including parasite infestation. Turtles
from forest habitats may require slightly acidic water. Others from drier areas
may require more alkaline water. Don’t forget to refer to a geography book to
make the best possible habitat for the turtle.
Soft shell:
This ailment
in hatchlings is probably the result of a calcium and vitamin deficiency, poor
diet and/or lack of ultraviolet light. It can be treated by the addition of
calcium and phosphorus in a five-to-one ratio, and vitamin D added to the diet,
plus natural sunlight or a Vita-Lite installed over the tank’s land area.
Swollen Eyes:
Usual causes
are unclean water conditions, vitamin deficiencies or lack of ultraviolet
light. Treat by applying an eye ointment such as Terramycin, to the eyes. Place
on the outside eyelid and it will soak into the eyes. Supplement the diet with
vitamins, especially vitamin A. This can be done orally if necessary by using a
probe to open the turtle’s mouth and placing a drop or two of Avitron into the
mouth each day. The turtle may have to be force fed by this method if it is
unwilling to feed on its own. Also use sunlight or a Vita-Lite and keep the
tank clean.
Fungus: This appears as white or
gray-white patches on the skin caused by inadequate basking areas, inadequate
sunlight or by keeping brackish water turtles in fresh water. It is treated
with salt or an iodine-based antiseptic such as Povidol. The infected area
should be painted with the antiseptic and allowed to dry before placing the
turtle back into the water. Treat at least twice a day. Also effective are some
pet store Ich solutions with malachite green.
Shell Rot:
This appears
as sores or gray spots on the shell and is a form of fungus infection caused by
inadequate basking areas, insufficient sunlight and/or abrasive objects that
come in contact with the turtle. Treatment consists of cleaning the shell of
fungal growth and applying an iodine-based antiseptic twice each day, allowing
treated areas to dry before placing the turtle back into the water. Provide
ultraviolet and adequate basking areas.
Pneumonia:
This can be
caused by a chill, difference in air/water temperature, or another turtle. It
is characterized by sluggishness, closed eyes, sneezing, bubbling nose and
mouth, continual basking and/or gasping for air. Keep turtle at 80 degrees – 85
degrees F. Injections of strong antibiotics are required. Since this disease is
highly contagious to other turtles, the tank must be disinfected.
Salmonellosis:
This is an
intestinal ailment caused by Salmonella organisms. It can be transmitted from
turtles to humans via contaminated hands or food. Water turtles can be carriers
of this organism without showing any signs of being ill. They will excrete it
into their aquarium leading to the contamination of their water and of their
keepers. It is VERY IMPORTANT to thoroughly WASH your hands with soap and water
each time after handling these animals or their aquarium water, especially when
an animal is ill. Diagnosis and treatment is done by a veterinarian and
recovery is anticipated in 7 to 10 days. Once Salmonella has been diagnosed in
a water turtle, proper care should be taken to completely disinfect the area
where the animal has been. For further information please see our SALMONELLA
INFORMATION SHEET, No. SDTTS-060.
Parasites:
External
parasites such as leeches may be pulled off and the wound treated with an
antibiotic. Internal parasites can be detected by a fecal examination performed
by a laboratory. Treatment is then prescribed by a veterinarian.
Off Feed:
This
condition is often caused by a drop in temperature, sickness or parasites.
Raise the water temperature to 80 – 85 degrees F and try a variety of foods.
Vitamin shots may be helpful and if the turtle becomes too thin, force feeding
may be necessary. Consult a knowledgeable veterinarian before giving any new
drugs, as many are harmful to turtles. Ivermectin is TOXIC in turtles and must
NEVER be used.
Bot Fly Cysts: This infestation is common in turtles. It usually
develops as a swelling in the parotid area on the head, or on the limbs. Once
the cyst is apparent, it should be lanced, or removed and the wound
disinfected. Povidol solution or Terramycin ointment is effective.
See our Water Turtle Ailment Recognition Sheet,
No. SDTTS-021, for detailed information on illnesses. Also, call this Society
for the name of a veterinarian in your area knowledgeable in treating turtles.
We have Care Consultants who specialize in water
turtles and they can be reached via sending an email to the Society’s webmaster
at the following address:
Clearly state your habitat and question and expect
a reply within 3 days.