A Care Guide for Spotted Turtles

 

Caring for spotted turtles may seem like a simple task, but there is a lot of responsibility in owning a pet turtle. Part of the responsibility of owning a turtle is to learn how to care for it properly. The best way to do this is to research spotted turtles and find out just what kind of environment they need in order to be healthy and happy, and to determine whether or not you are both prepared and capable of providing these necessities.

Physical Aspects

The first step in determining whether you are ready to raise a spotted turtle is to ensure that you understand how this species of turtle will grow. Some turtles can grow quite large and require a great deal of space. Fortunately, this is a relatively small species of turtle with a mature shell size between three and five inches. The shell as well as the turtle’s body is black or even blue-black, be speckled with tons of round yellow spots. The easiest way to tell the difference between male spotted turtles and females is that the male has brown eyes and a brown chin, while the female has orange eyes and an orange chin.

Environmental Needs

The spotted turtle is a semi-aquatic species, which means that they prefer shallow, slow-moving waters and moist vegetation. The environment that you provide for this turtle will need to reflect this habitat. An aquarium makes a wonderful option for turtle housing. A minimum of a 55 gallon tank is recommended. The tank should be fitted with UVB lighting to heat the dry area for sun-bathing. This can be acquired at almost any pet store, as can the aquarium itself. You will also need to acquire vegetation and other natural items to reflect a marshy or creek-like environment. River rocks, driftwood, dirt, sand, sphagnum moss, and aquatic plants are great items to start with. Bear in mind that the aquarium should average about 50 percent water and 50 percent “dry” land. The depth of the water should reach no more than six inches below the dry land. This will allow the turtle the option to fully submerge without endangering it, as the spotted turtle is generally not a very powerful swimmer.

Food Requirements

It is important that spotted turtles raised in captivity maintain the same sort of diet that they would acquire in the wild. Spotted turtles are omnivores, which means that they eat both animals and plants. The younger the turtle, the more live foods it will prefer, such as crickets, worms, snails and slugs, and even spiders. As the turtle ages, he will gradually start eating more and more vegetables such aquatic plants and algae. It is important that both young and adult turtles receive a balanced diet of both live and vegetative sources. It is also worth bearing mind that spotted turtles will not consume their food outside of water. You can place the food on the land portion of the aquarium, but the turtle will have to take it to the water in order to eat it.

Activity

Spotted turtles are most active in the spring, particularly in April and May. This species tends to become very inactive during hot summer weather and cold winter weather. In order to encourage your turtle to become active and comfortable, try to imitate the environment his habitat would typically experience in the spring. This means keeping the tank at a temperature around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, you may need to purchase a heater to keep the water’s temperature in the lower 70’s, as this species will not enter the water if it is too warm.

Meeting the needs of a spotted turtle is not necessarily difficult. The initial expenses can be a little costly, but the costs of everyday maintenance are quite low. If you believe that a spotted turtle might be for you, try speaking to an associate at your local pet shop to find out where you can acquire your own spotted turtle.