Pet Turtle Care: Turtle Care For a Red Eared Slider

Care of turtle pet

If you're thinking of getting a turtle, know that a red-eared slider makes a wonderful pet. It has green skin with bright yellow markings, and the namesake red mark behind its eye. Red-eared sliders are surprisingly complex, however, which is why it's recommended that an adult - not a child - be responsible for their care. Like all aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles, the main ingredients of their care are warmth, clean water and being fed the correct diet. This article will give you an introduction to the basics of turtle care for red eared slider.

First of all, it's good to be aware that although they are only one inch long when they hatch, they can grow up to 12 inches in length as adults-so you can't just place them in any small glass fish tank. They will grow. This takes time, of course, since they live 50-70 years, but they reach sexual maturity at 2-4 years and will already be quite large by then. An adult red-eared slider generally needs a 55-gallon aquarium.

The air temperature in the aquarium should be 75 degrees F, and the water temperature should be between 75-86 degrees F. You will probably need a reptile lamp to maintain the air temperature and a submersible heater to keep the water warm. If the water is too cold your turtle will develop digestive and other health problems. On the flip side, don't place the tank in a place where it receives direct, constant sunlight, or your turtle could overheat.

Young red-eared sliders are strictly carnivorous but become omnivores as they become older, and will require a balanced diet of meat and vegetables. Meat like lean, raw beef or cooked chicken is good and should supplement commercial turtle pellets and green, leafy vegetables. Turtles are messy eaters so it's best to move them to a separate container to eat. Please note: they must be in water to eat. Allow them to eat for 15 minutes before moving them back to their tank. Juveniles should be fed daily but older turtles can be fed every two days.

The aquarium water needs to be changed on a regular basis; otherwise the water will fill up with decomposing food scraps and turtle feces and urine. Not only will this present a health hazard to your pet, but will look unsightly and smell. If you feed your turtle in a separate container, you prevent them from fouling their habitat so quickly, and you will only need to clean the tank weekly. In this cleaning you should siphon off from 25-50% of the water and "vacuum" away debris then refill the tank with clean, warm water. The entire tank should be drained, thoroughly cleaned and refilled every 1-2 months.

If you wish to pick your pet turtle up and hold it, grip it firmly with both hands. Dropping your red-eared slider will seriously injure it or could even prove fatal. In addition, if it becomes frightened, it might scratch or bite. For these reasons, a child under 5 years of age should never handle the turtle. Also, carefully wash your hands with soap after holding your pet to prevent the possibility of contracting salmonella.

Turtles are not that expensive to buy, but their care involves an ongoing investment of time and money. It costs something to feed them properly and to take them to the vet when they're ill. It's important to monitor them for signs of illness but even more important is to be consistent and careful in their daily care so that you hopefully prevent them from becoming sick in the first place. The investment, if you're willing to make it, pays large dividends in that it allows you to watch the antics of a most interesting pet for many years.

Pet Turtle Care: Caring For Your Red Eared Slider Turtle

Top 3 Things Your Slider Needs to Be Healthy

Red eared sliders are a popular exotic pet. They may look small in the pet store, but they can grow up to 12 inches and live up to 30 years. These animals require a long-term care commitment, and there are three things that every slider needs to live a long life and to be healthy.

Enough Space - Sliders like lots of room to swim, and need more of it as they grow larger. Whether you home your turtle in a pond or an aquarium, a good, general rule is 6 gallons minimum per inch of turtle. Sliders also spend time on dry land, so an accessible, fairly large, flat area out of the water is needed - this place is called a "basking" area.

Proper Heat - Warmth helps stimulate a turtle's immune system, so a warm environment helps keep your slider healthy. Warm water around 75 - 85 F is good for your pet, while a warmer temperature in the basking area of around 90 - 95 F is required. Natural sunlight is also beneficial to your slider, so consider exposing your turtle to the sun a few hours daily if possible.

Clean Water - Red eared sliders spend most of their lives in water, so clean, warm water is a must. Regular water changes need to be done, because even though the water may look clear and clean, waste products such as ammonia and nitrite can build up to dangerous levels and need to be removed by taking out the old water and replacing it with new water. Additionally, although turtles may not be as sensitive as fish to chlorine, it's still a good idea to dechlorinate any new water you put in the tank. Any introduced chlorine may negatively affect the nitrogen cycle in the aquarium which then affects the breakdown of waste products, causing the water to "dirty" faster.

Caring for red eared sliders properly will help your turtle live a long and full life in your care. It will also give you the satisfaction that you're taking care of your pet the best way possible. Don't you owe it to your red eared slider to learn about caring for it in a way that meets all its needs?

Pet Turtle Care: Food to Give Red Eared Slider Turtles

Care of turtle pet

When it comes to feeding your red eared slider turtle you have to make sure that you are giving them the right amount of vegetation and animal protein. Make sure that you are feeding them a balance between the two so that they are getting the right amount of nutrients and vitamins.

As babies they need to eat large amount of animal protein because they have a very large carnivorous side to them. However, it is still a good thing to feed them a few vegetable materials.

Don't be surprised though if they don't eat much of the vegetation till they are older. When they become adults you can pull back on the animal materials and feed them mostly vegetation.

You can offer red eared slider pellet food. They have a bit a mixture of the right amount of vitamins and minerals. They are sometimes more convenient for pet owners. But this should not be the only thing that you feed them. It is great if you mix their food up a bit to keep them from getting bored and to make sure that they are getting all of the nutrients that they need to be healthy.

Food To Feed Red Eared Sliders

When it comes to feeding them you can give them earthworms, live feeder fish (this includes goldfish, guppies, minnows), waxworms, crickets, aquatic snails, daphnia, earthworms, silkworms, mealworms, and blood worms. These should only be given to small turtles. Adult red eared slider should eat larger animal items.

When feeding turtles vegetation stick with collard, kale, bok choy, mustard, dandelions greens, and dark green leaf lettuce. Never feed them iceberg lettuce because it does not have much nutrition.

If your turtle lives in a pond or aquarium you can always add aquatic plants to feed them. They love to snack on submerged plants like frog-bit, water hyacinth, water lettuce, azolla, anacharis, and duckweed.

Pet Turtle Care: Quick Guide For the Red Eared Slider Turtle

Care of turtle pet

The red eared slider turtle, commonly known as red "eared" slider, is easily identified by red markings on the side of their face. Red eared slider turtles are the most popular breed of Turtle people own as pets. This is mostly due to their friendly temperament and often playful demeanor red sliders can make great pets, provided you know a little back ground information.

The red eared and all other breeds of turtle are usually viewed as an "easy" pet to own. Just put it in a bowl and feed it, right? The red eared slider turtle may not need to be walked like a dog or need flea treatments like a cat, but they do require a fair amount of education to be raised properly.

Be Ready for a Pet

Most new turtle owners mistake the low maintenance nature of owning a turtle for no maintenance. This can easily lead to illnesses or premature fatality. Turtles are a bit different from more popular indoor pets such as cats and dogs, but they do require attention to their environment, diet and health just the same.

If you get a red eared as a baby, do not be fooled by how small they are. They may look like a pebble in the hands of a child, but in just two years the average red eared slider turtle will grow to 12 inches. A ten gallon tank will not last the life of your turtle. Keep in mind that turtles grow to the size of their environment, so if you want a larger turtle, get a larger tank.

Feeding

Feeding your red eared slider can become a simple routine, but you have to pay attention. A common mistake most first time turtle owners make is overfeeding their turtle. This is terribly unhealthy for your red eared slider.

If you have done this in the past, not to worry. It has happened to many because of the nature of the red slider. They tend to move around their tank very quickly splashing about in the water "begging" for food.

Anyone who has seen this act will tell you how cute of a little trick it is, but avoid temptation. A good rule of thumb is to feed your turtle a hunk of food the size of its head/neck or however much it can eat in 15 minutes.

As far as what to feed your turtle slider, turtle pellets are a good nutrient rich staple for your sliders diet, but try to incorporate a variety of leafy greens, vegetables and fruits as well. A well balanced diet is just as important for a turtle as a person or any other animal. For a welcome protein boost try bugs like mosquitoes, crickets and worms or feeder fish like minnows and guppies. A few examples of fruits and veggies for a sliders turtle would be sweet potato, squash, carrots, berries, bits of apple etc...

Final Tips
Remember to cook foods like carrots to make them chewable. Always feed your turtle in a separate little dish or tub with water in it. They mainly eat in water because they are unable to produce saliva. As an added bonus, Turtles have a habit of pooping while they eat. This way, you can easily clean up the mess and save your tank from having to filter it out.

The turtles red eared slider are a playful companion once they get to know you. I tried my best to cover the very basics. There is enough info on turtles to fill books, literally! With a little know how and willingness to learn anyone can own a happy, healthy red eared slider turtle. As a newbie try to concentrate on the turtles diet the most. This and other health concerns are the most common reasons for premature death or illness.

Pet Turtle Care: How to Tell the Gender of Red Eared Slider Turtles

Care of turtle pet

How to tell the gender of red eared slider turtles is important. Many pet-owners enjoy the antics of their Red-eared Slider for months or even years without concerning themselves as to whether their pet is a male or a female. Eventually, however, curiosity prevails and they want to know. Perhaps they're thinking of adding another turtle to the tank and think it would be best to have a male and a female.

In addition, many pet-owners daydream about their turtles mating, seeing their own pets lay eggs, and having the thrill of seeing those eggs hatch into baby turtles. If it happens naturally, that's one thing. But it's generally not recommended to try to match-make a male and female to produce young unless you're a professional turtle breeder.

But just the same, how do you tell the difference between genders?

As a general rule, female Red-eared Sliders are bigger than the males. A fully-grown female might have a shell measuring 11 inches in length, but a male will rarely ever grow more than 8 inches long. Adult females are also heavier, weighing more than 4 pounds.

But what if you don't have fully-mature pets? How do you tell? The fact is, until they are at least 4 inches long it's sometimes difficult to know. Well, one way to tell is by the length of the front claws: a male Red-eared Slider usually has longer front claws than the female-relative to his size, of course. However, if your turtle is too young or is late in going through a growth spurt, then this won't necessarily be a sure way to tell, at least not by itself.

Here's another thing to look for: male Red-eared Sliders also have longer, thinner tails than females, with a small vent (cloaca or hole) near the middle of the tail, halfway between the shell and the tip of the tail. Females have short tails and their vent is nearer the base of their shell, almost under the overlap of the shell.

One obvious way to tell is if your pet turtle lays eggs-and yes, female turtles will sometimes lay eggs without a male turtle being present.

Males also have in-curved bellies while females have out-curved or flat bellies. Don't turn your turtle upside-down to get a look, however, as this is detrimental to its health. Instead, lift it just high enough to peer at its underside.

Some of the above methods of determining the sex of your turtle are less definitive than others; however, if most or all of the signs point one direction, then it's pretty certain that you have correctly determined your turtle's gender. If you're still in doubt, however, and really want to know, ask your vet the next time you take your pet turtle in.

A reminder: wash your hands with water and soap after every time you handle your turtle. Turtles are often contaminated with Salmonella, and the bacteria that cause this disease can transmit a disease called Salmonellosis to their owners. Every year, in the United States alone, turtles (together with other reptiles) transmit 74,000 known cases of Salmonellosis to humans. So be careful!

Pet Turtle Care: The Red Eared Slider and Other Popular Varieties

Care of turtle pet

So you're thinking of becoming a turtle owner! You have read all the books you can read. You have asked veterinarians and turtle breeders for information on how to provide proper care. Your only concern now is this: Which type should you purchase?

As a prospective owner, it is not recommended that you start with types of turtles that are difficult to care for. This will not be good for either you or the pet. You may expose you and your family to illness, and unnecessarily harm or even kill the turtle. So to prevent problems, you must know which are the best types of turtles to select as common household pets. What are the most popular turtle pets?

Check this list...

1.Slider Turtles
Found in the southeastern United States, Red Eared Sliders are the most popular among turtle pets. They love to bask on logs and riverbanks and tend to slide into water whenever they sense danger (thus their name). Red Eared Sliders can be very tame-but they also bite. They grow as long as 12 inches, therefore they require very large tanks or an outdoor pond. Most of the Red Eared Sliders are carnivorous
when young; but become herbivorous as they grow.

2. Box Turtles
Growing to about six inches long, Box Turtles are found all over the world in damp areas, such as forests. They are one of the most favorite turtles to keep as pets. They cannot be placed in too much direct sunlight, so prepare a shaded area for them. Box Turtles also hibernate in winter, and require a separate area with sources of moisture, such as dirt and leaves. Box Turtles have high, dark, domed
shells that allow them to completely secure themselves from their predators.

3.Painted Turtles
Painted Turtles are generally small, growing only between four and seven inches long, and make great turtle pets. They are the most prevalent North American water turtle, found in the wild all across Canada, and south to Georgia and Louisiana in the United States. They have dark, fairly flat-topped shells, with red markings around the edges, yellow stripes on their heads, and red and yellow stripes on their necks, tails, and legs. Their plastron is completely yellow. Captive-bred Painted Turtles need a diet of about 25% meat, 20% or so turtle pellets, and the balance fresh greens and vegetables.

4. Mud Turtles
As their name suggests, Mud Turtles are frequently found in muddy areas; but, they also reside in other humid areas, as well as in sandy habitats. Reaching about five inches in length, they require sunlight and fresh water in their living areas. These turtles, which lie dormant during winter, dig deep holes in the mud for their hibernation period. After choosing from among this list, go to your nearest pet breeders, animal shelters, rescue centers, or pet shops to buy your pet turtle. If purchasing from pet shops, be careful, though. You have to know if the turtles are captive-bred or have lived in the wild. Captive-bred turtles are highly recommended for turtle pets. Those turtles that have come from the wild may not be healthy.

Pet Turtle Care: Tips on Care and Diet for Red Eared Slider Turtles

Care of turtle pet

Taking care of the Red Eared Turtle takes more than just a container decorated with colorful pebbles and filled with water. These animals have specific housing needs, and require special diets and close monitoring; all this in order to ensure their health and safety, and allow them to live out their maximum lifespans. The following tips about the Red Eared Turtle should help you come to a decision as to whether you are ready to become an owner, or, if you are already one, give you useful advice on how to take better care of your turtle pet.

If your are just in the planning stages of purchasing a red eared turtle, there are a few things you should look out for to make sure that your pet is in perfect condition and not ill before you bring it home. Healthy turtles of this species should be alert, responsive, and bright in appearance. You will know if the turtle is alert and responsive if it pulls its legs back into its shell when you pick it up. Otherwise, Red Eared Slider Turtles that seem to be passive when you do this are most likely to be stressed out or sluggish. They are in great shape and health if they have clear, open, and clean eyes. Their noses should be free from discharge or mucus, which are signs of respiratory sickness.

Red Eared Slider Turtles may appear delicate and cute when they are just hatchlings, and many novice owners may assume that small, plastic containers or tanks would make adequate housing for them. This theory is a mistake; as the turtles grow into their adult size, they will reach up to twelve inches in length.

You must, therefore, prepare a suitably sized dwelling place, ideally a large tank or pond. A red eared turtle that has received the right kind of care and monitoring can live for forty years.

One should always remember that it is never wise to try to return a turtle to the wild when it becomes an adult, because it will not be equipped with the skills necessary for self-preservation and survival, especially if it had been kept captive most of its life.

A red eared turtle can excrete a lot of waste material, and you must keep its housing clean, by placing a good filter into its tank, and by feeding it in a separate tank or container.

Red eared slider turtles are omnivorous, although as young turtles, they show a preference for small animals, such as earthworms, shrimp, mealworms, crickets, and krill. These may have to be cut into smaller portions when fed to the hatchlings. If your pet is already an adult, you may offer it larger prey, such as tadpoles. As the turtles mature, you should shift to vegetables for the majority of their diet; for example, collard, dandelion greens, and green beans.

You can determine the sex of your turtles only when they have become mature. You should allot a nesting area on which the females can lay their eggs. Be sure that this area, and the entire place in which the turtles dwell, are escape-proof and free from predators.

These facts about Red Eared Slider Turtles should serve as sound and helpful advice on how to take care of your turtle pets.