Turtle Care Sheets
Common Name: Painted Turtle
Latin name: Chrysemys picta
Native to: Eastern USA depending on which of the four subspecies.
Size: Average adult is 5 - 8 inches; females are larger than males of same age.
Life span: 15 - 25 Years
General appearance: All painted turtles have a dark black top shell (carapace) with a border containing red markings. The under shell (plastron) can be yellow with red and black markings or red with black markings depending on the subspecies. The head, limbs, neck and tail are dark with yellow or red markings.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: Should be aquatic. Minimum dimensions for tanks are: width - 3 times the shell length and length - 6 times the shell length. Minimum depth of the water should be as deep as the shell is wide. A basking area is needed to allow the painted turtle to get completely out of the water to dry. UV lighting can be beneficial.
Temperature: The water should be 70° - 75° F and can be maintained with a submersible aquarium heater. The basking area should be 84° - 88° F during the daylight period. This can be maintained with an incandescent light.
Substrate: Substrate is not recommended, as frequent water changes make it difficult to clean.
Diet: Feeding should be done every other day with all they can eat in 45 minutes. Remove all food after that time, except for the greens. Just because they beg for food does not necessarily mean they're hungry, this is a trained condition. Diet should be at least 65% - 85% meat consisting of commercial turtle food, trout chow, beef heart, cooked chicken, fish live or fresh caught (not frozen). Meat should be dusted once a week with a good herp vitamin containing D3. Dark green leafy vegetables can be used to fill the rest of the diet.
Maintenance: Water should be clean and clear. Waste should be removed whenever it is found. Filtration prolongs the time between water changes, but should not be used as a substitute for water changes. Wastewater should not be emptied into a sink that is used for food preparation or personal hygiene. Hands and any other part of your body that comes in contact with the water should be washed thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap.
Common Name: Red-Eared Slider
Latin name: Trachemyss scripta elegans
Native to: Mississippi River valley and tributaries from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico
Size: Average adult is 5 - 8 inches; females are larger than males of same age.
Life span: 15 - 25 Years
General appearance: Young red-eared sliders are bright green with yellow markings and a red stripe just behind the eyes. Colors dull with age.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: Should be mostly aquatic. Minimum dimensions for tank are: width - 3 times the shell length and length - 6 times the shell length. Minimum depth of the water should be as deep as the shell is wide. A basking area is needed to allow the red-ear slider to get out of the water to dry completely. UV lighting can be beneficial.
Temperature: The water should be 70° - 75° F and can be maintained with a submersible aquarium heater. The basking area should be 84° - 88°F during the daylight period. This can be maintained with an incandescent light.
Substrate: Substrate is not recommended, as frequent water changes make it difficult to clean.
Diet: Feeding should be daily with all they can eat in 45 minutes. Remove all food remaining after that time, except for greens. Just because they beg for food does not necessarily mean they're hungry, this is a trained condition. Diet should be at least 65% - 85% meat consisting of commercial turtle food, trout chow, beef heart, cooked chicken, fish live or fresh caught (not frozen). Meat should be dusted once a week with a good herp vitamin containing D3. Dark green leafy vegetables can be used to fill the rest of the diet.
Maintenance: Water should be clean and clear. Waste should be removed whenever it is found. Filtration prolongs the time between water changes, but should not be used as a substitute for water changes. Wastewater should not be emptied into a sink that is used for food preparation or personal hygiene. Hands and any other part of your body that comes in contact with the water should be washed thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap.
Common Name: Russian Tortoise
Latin name: Testudo horsfieldii
Native to: Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, and Western China
Size: 8 - 10 inches
Life span: Estimated to 100 years if proper care is given
General appearance: The Russian tortoise has highly developed claws with four toes per foot, which are used for digging. The carapace is rounded and has a stocky appearance. The shell is greenish to olive-brown in color with diffuse patches of dark brown or black color. There is no movable hinge on the plastron.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: It is best to keep your Russian tortoise outside where temperatures are not too extreme. If you live in an area where temperatures fall below 40° F your tortoises should be moved indoors. If you bring the tortoise indoors then a minimum of a 30-gallon enclosure is required.
Temperature: Temperatures should be kept at 70° - 80° F for day temperatures with a basking spot of 85° F. Night temperatures should be 65° - 75° F. Heat rocks are NOT recommended as burns may result from their use.
Heat/Light: It is important that adequate lighting is provided. Lighting must provide UVA and UVB for proper skeletal and shell development. Incandescent lights may be used to provide basking spots. Ceramic emitters or under-the-tank heaters may also be used to heat the enclosure.
Substrate: Substrates such as Bed-a-Beast™, newspaper, aspen, indoor/outdoor carpeting and lizard litter are all adequate. You may wish to provide deeper substrate for your Russian tortoise so that it may dig. It is important to remember that this species comes from arid climates and the humidity must be kept low. If the humidity is too high the tortoise can become prone to pneumonia, shell problems, as well as eye infections.
Environment: In the wild, Russian tortoises come from a fairly dry environment and often can be found along rocky hillsides with many places available for cover.
Diet: Russian tortoises require a high fiber, low protein, and calcium rich diet. Fruits should not be offered regularly since they contain high levels of sugar, which can create digestive problems. Do not feed high protein items since excessive protein may cause renal failure or impacted bladder stones which can result in the death of the Russian tortoise. A mixture of edible grasses and clovers, hibiscus leaves and flowers, alfalfa and other grass hays, water cress, dandelion, rose leaves and petals, sow thistle, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, endive, escarole, kale, cactus pods can be fed to your tortoise. If feeding lawn clippings or plants from the garden it is important to make sure that the surrounding area is not chemically treated. There are also commercially produced foods that can be used to supplement feedings, though it should not be the sole source of food.
Fresh water should be offered at all times. Your Russian tortoise will also appreciate a 10-minute soak in a bath of tepid water. This will ensure proper hydration.
Maintenance: The enclosure should be spot cleaned daily. A thorough cleaning should be performed on a regular basis. A 5% bleach solution is an excellent disinfectant. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the enclosure before replacing the substrate and placing the tortoise back in the enclosure. It is always recommended to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the tortoise or cleaning the cage and cage accessories.
Common Name:African Spur Thigh, Sulcata Tortoise
Latin name: Geochelone sulcata
Native to: Southern Sahara desert region ranging from Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia
Size: The largest shell length ranges up to 36 inches and weighs up to 240 lbs.
Life span: If taken care of properly a Sulcata tortoise can live up to 70 years.
General appearance: The African spur thigh tortoise is a uniform color of brown to golden yellow color. Growth rings on each scute appear on the carapace. There are also well-defined spurs on the rear legs, which gives it its name African spur thigh tortoise. The skin is thick which may serve to reduce fluid loss through transpiration.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: Because of the size of the African spur thigh tortoise, you will need to build a pen. If you live in a climate that is warm enough, the pen can be built outside and they can live outside all year round. A shelter with a ramp should be provided for these outdoor pens. If you live in a climate that the winter does get cold, an average sized adult will need a six-foot by six-foot indoor grazing area and a six-foot by six-foot basking area. If the tortoise does not get enough room to exercise the tortoise may lose muscle mass. When housed outdoors, fencing should extend at least two feet underground because these tortoises like to burrow.
Temperature: An ambient temperature should be kept at 72° -85° F. A basking area should be kept on one side of the enclosure at a temperature of 85° - 89° F. At night, the temperature can drop down to 70° - 75° F. It is a good practice to let the tortoise soak at least twice a week.
Heat/Light: It is important that adequate lighting is provided. Lighting must provide UVA and UVB for proper skeletal and shell development. Incandescent lights may be used to provide basking spots. Ceramic emitters or under-the-tank heaters may also be used to heat the enclosure. Heated rocks are NOT recommended.
Substrate: Sulcata tortoises like to dig and burrow. It is important to give the tortoise something that they can burrow in. A mix of 50% sterile play sand and a 50% organic soil works well. Hay with newspaper can also be used. Other suitable substrates are alfalfa pellets, aspen particles, or Lizard Litter®. Some people also consider using Carefresh®. Pine, cedar, and oyster shells should be avoided.
Environment: African spur thigh tortoises come from a desert region therefore require a dry, arid enclosure. A hide box is often beneficial. Many people use a Dogloo® and put a pig blanket in the housing for warmth in large enclosures.
Diet: Sulcatas tortoises are grazers and need high fiber and low protein diet. Mixed grasses, orchard hay, timothy hay, optunia pads and berries, hibiscus leaves and flowers, clove, prickly pear pads, dandelion greens and flower, Dutch clover, rose leaves and petals, sow thistle, romaine, and red leaf lettuce. You can also give mulberry leaves and grape leaves in limited quantities. Animal protein should be avoided. Fruits should be fed sparingly if at all.
Maintenance: The enclosure should be spot cleaned daily. A thorough cleaning should be performed on a regular basis. A 5% bleach solution is an excellent disinfectant. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the enclosure before replacing the substrate and placing the tortoise back in the enclosure. It is always recommended to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the tortoise or cleaning the cage or cage accessories.