The Red Eared Turtle - Trachemys scripta elegans Bob Smither, GCTTS member April 29, 2000 ____________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Natural History 2.1 Distribution 2.2 Description 2.3 Habitat 2.4 Behavior 2.5 Reproduction 2.6 Foods 2.7 Conclusion 3. Captive Care 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Outdoor Habitat 3.3 Indoor Housing 3.4 Feeding and Filtering 3.5 Basking 3.6 Feeding 3.7 Releasing 4. Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society 5. To learn more ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction This is the turtle whose hatchlings were once sold by the millions in every dime store and pet shop in the country. The law now requires turtles to be at least 4 inches in length before they can be sold in this country. Many hatchlings are still produced commercially for export to Europe, Mexico, and Japan where they remain extremely popular as pets. 2. Natural History 2.1. Distribution Red ears occur throughout most of Texas (except the extreme western portion), Oklahoma, the eastern half of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, into the western portion of Kentucky and Tennessee, and throughout Alabama. There are also several disjointed populations around the world due to the release of captives. 2.2. Description The red eared turtle's carapace averages 5-8 inches, with a record length of 11 inches. The turtle is named for a broad reddish (occasionally yellow) stripe or blotch behind each eye along the neck. The carapace is oval and flattened (especially in the male), has a weak keel that is more pronounced in the young, and the rear marginal scutes are notched. The first marginal scute extends beyond the suture between the first costal and the first vertebral scutes. The carapace usually consists of a dark green background with light and dark highly variable markings. The plastron is yellow with dark paired irregular markings in the center of most scutes. The plastron is highly variable, with some older individual's essentially dark with only a little remaining yellow. The head, legs, and tail are green with fine yellow irregular lines. Older males are sometimes so melanistic that the markings are lost. The lower jaw, when viewed from the front, is rounded, not flattened as with other similar turtles. 2.3. Habitat Red ears prefer quiet bodies of water with a soft bottom and heavy vegetation. They are found in slow moving rivers, streams, swamps, ponds, creeks, and stock tanks. Currents are avoided. 2.4. Behavior This turtle loves to bask. They are seen in droves on logs or other available spots out of the water, but seldom on the bank. They will quickly retreat to the water if they feel threatened. It is not unusual to see them basking in piles three and four deep if basking spots are at a premium. They can sense danger through their excellent ability to sense vibration. A turtle has a fully developed inner ear structure, but no external opening. This species is primarily aquatic and tends to stay in one area if it likes its surroundings, but the males move around in the spring and are frequent victims when crossing roads. Red eared turtles spend a considerable amount of time just floating, using their inflated throat as a flotation device. 2.5. Reproduction Male red ears mature in 2 to 5 years. Mature males have long front toenails that are used in courtship when the male will swim in front of his chosen partner, stretch out his forelimbs with palms turned out so as to just touch the sides of the lady's face, and vibrate his nails against her face. This courtship dance is often seen during the warmer months. The mature male's tail is much longer and thicker than that of the female, with the anal opening beyond the rear edge of the carapace. The female's tail is smaller, with the anal opening usually at or under the rear edge of the carapace. During mating, the male will hold the female, using his long nails to grasp her carapace, and curl his tail under the female's for copulation. Breeding takes place from March to July, with nesting in June and July. The female will leave the pond and find a sunny area with sandy soil in which to construct her nest. If required, the female will travel some distance to find soil that suits her. In order to be able to dig her nest, the female may need to soften the soil. She accomplishes this with a seemingly endless supply of water from her bladder. The nest is dug with the hind legs, and is usually a jug shaped hole 2 - 4 inches deep. Four to 23 eggs are deposited, after which the nest is carefully sealed with the soil previously removed. The eggs are oval and approximately 1-3/8 long. A female may produce from 1 to 3 clutches in a single season. If not dug up and eaten by raccoons or other predators, the eggs hatch some 2 to 2-1/2 months after nesting and if cold weather has already arrived the hatchlings may over winter in the nest. 2.6. Foods The young are more carnivorous than the adults, but will also eat a fair amount of plant matter. They take water insects, snails, tadpoles, crayfish, fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. As they age red ears begin to eat more plants, with arrowhead, water lilies, hyacinths, and duck weed taken. A fair amount of carrion is also consumed. 2.7. Conclusion The red eared turtle has survived being eaten by many of us, having its eggs used as bait, being decimated by automobiles, and exploited in the pet trade. Like all reptiles and amphibians, populations are declining due to the all too common reasons of habitat destruction and pollution. These are hardy creatures who basically need to be left alone in suitable habitat to prosper. We can all help turtles by working to maintain enough wetland areas for them and reducing the pollution that threatens them. 3. Captive Care 3.1. Introduction If kept captive, it is important to try to duplicate the red ear's natural habitat and diet to the greatest extent possible. Red ears require a fairly large swimming area with good water quality, a basking area that lets them get completely out of the water to dry off and get warm, proper lighting, temperature and food. 3.2. Outdoor Habitat The best conditions for housing red ears can be most easily obtained in a properly setup outdoor enclosure. The turtles need a small pond that they can easily enter and exit and should have access to a land area. A secure fence or landscape timber walls will prevent escapes. The water in the pond can be filtered or simply refreshed with a hose - in any case it must be kept clean. A child's wading pool can be used to temporarily house red ears outdoors, but remember to provide some shade and a basking area. 3.3. Indoor Housing If a red ear is to be kept in an aquarium for a short time, there should be about 5 gallons of water per inch of carapace length. Using this rule of thumb will avoid overcrowding and make the container easier to maintain. If you are not interested in viewing the turtle from the side, plastic containers such as storage boxes or cement mixing tubs can be used. The water should be maintained at 80 degrees F or above using a good aquarium heater. After the turtle reaches about 4 inches of carapace length it should be kept in an outdoor setup as described above. Females must have access to dirt in order to lay eggs. 3.4. Feeding and Filtering Turtles are heavy feeders and an overloaded container will be very difficult to keep clean. Red eared turtles will shred their food as they eat it, contributing to the waste load of the tank or pond. If desired, turtles can be fed in a separate container, thus reducing the amount of food left in the their living space. Remember that aquatic turtles must be in water to be able to swallow. It is also important to use water that is the same temperature in both containers. If the tank is not overloaded, a well established under gravel filter, driven by a power head (the standard air lift just doesn't provide enough water flow) and with 3 to 4 inches of gravel bed above it, will maintain excellent water quality. The oxygenated water flowing through the gravel bed encourages the establishment of a colony of beneficial bacteria. These bacteria then aid in the reduction of waste products. Remember that it takes a few weeks for the aerobic bacteria to become well established in the gravel bed. Once established, constant water circulation is important. The bacteria colony will die if deprived of oxygen for an extended time. An occasional partial cleaning of the gravel bed using a standard aquarium gravel cleaning siphon is required to remove any undigested waste and to prevent the filter bed from clogging. This periodic siphoning also affords an opportunity to top up the tank with fresh water and reduces the buildup of harmful materials. Large power canister filters, although expensive, also work well. The filter media in the canister filter will have to be cleaned or replaced every one or two weeks. 3.5. Basking A red ear must be able to dry its shell occasionally to prevent fungus and bacterial attacks. This is one reason they bask in the wild. The basking area in an aquarium can be a large branch that extends out of the water or a pile of smooth rocks large enough to afford a high and dry area. Floating plastic islands and lily pads are available but they may not support the turtle sufficiently to allow it to get completely out of the water and dry out. A solid basking area is preferred. If kept in an aquarium (not recommended), a light with sufficient UV energy, such as a Vita-Lite, is essential. The light should not pass through intervening glass as the glass will remove most of the beneficial UV. The light should be within 6 inches of the basking area. An incandescent light in a clamp on reflector can be used to provide extra heat at the basking site and will be appreciated by the turtle. This extra heat source has the added benefit of providing a temperature gradient that allows the turtle to choose its preferred body temperature. For optimum health, red ears need a range of temperatures from 75 degrees F to 95 degrees F. 3.6. Feeding The best diet for a red ear is one that duplicates its natural food as closely as possible. Live foods are particularly enjoyed and beneficial. The key to success is to feed a wide variety of foods. They enjoy earthworms, snails, meal worms, crickets, grasshoppers, trout chow, catfish chow, chicken, fish, feeder (live) fish, ReptoMin, etc. Plants taken include most plants found in tropical fish tanks, duckweed, water hyacinth, arrowhead, anacharis, cabomba, hornwort, ludwigia, etc. Try freshly sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, mung beans, etc. Hornwort can be easily grown in a spare aquarium along with water snails (red ramshorn, for example) and some feeder fish. Mosquito fish (Gambusia) or guppies will readily spawn in a tank with a thick growth of hornwort. This setup can provide a fair amount of the turtle's foods. To avoid problems, feed a wide variety. Fatty foods and all red meats should be avoided. Red eared turtles, in common with most aquatic species, must be in the water in order to swallow. If properly maintained, red eared turtles are hardy and long lived. A female was still alive in June, 1992 after more than 37 and a half years in captivity! Turtles as pets are long term commitments. 3.7. Releasing After being held captive, a turtle, even a native such as the red ear is in our area, should not be released back to the wild unless checked by a competent vet or knowledgeable amateur. The animal may not be able to recognize and capture its natural prey, and it is possible to introduce unknown pathogens into a wild population through such releases. A non-native species should never be released and a native should not be released later than August so that it has a chance to acclimate itself before needing to hibernate. If you grow tired of your turtle, try to find an interested person to take it or contact the GCTTS or your vet for a referral. 4. Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society You can contact the GCTTS at: Phone / Fax: (713)443-3383 WWW site: HTTP://WWW.GCTTS.Org E-mail: Info@GCTTS.Org 5. To learn more Alderton, David, A Petkeeper's Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians, London:Salamander Books Ltd., 1986, 3- 923880-5-2. Andrews, Chris (ed.), Turtles, Tortoises, Terrapins, Melle, West Germany:Tetra Press. Angell, Madeline, Snakes and Frogs and Turtles and Such, New York:Bobbs-Merrill, 1979, QL652.A53, 598.1'0973, 0- 672-52528-3. Behler, John L. and F. Wayne King, The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians, New York:Alfred A. Knopf, 1979, QL651.K56, 598.1'097 0-394- 50824-6. Carroll, David M., The Year of the Turtle, Charlotte, Vermont:Camden House, 1991, QL666.C5C37, 597.92, 0- 944475-12-4.