The red-eared turtle is in great demand among breeders. Its shell is rather flat; with age, patterns in the form of yellow stripes are drawn on it. The turtle got its name from the presence of a bright red spot behind the eye. Like any other pet, the red-eared turtle needs proper care and maintenance.
Care and maintenance
Red-eared turtles live quite a long time (at least thirty years), however, an irresponsible and unprepared owner can shorten the life of a pet to three years. This type of turtles should be kept in a spacious aquaterrarium. For one turtle, you will need a 150-200 liters aquarium. The water should be warm and clean.
Although this reptile spends almost all of its time in the water, it still needs land where it can rest and walk. Therefore, the aquarium should have a comfortable, gradually rising slope. The shoulder should be rough so that the turtle can easily cling to it with its claws. Ideally, if the land will occupy at least a quarter of the area of the aquarium.
In young animals, the shell has a bright green color, over time it becomes yellow-brown or olive.
Any type of external aquarium filter can be used to purify the water. Young red-eared turtles will grow faster if the water in the tank is clear. For a complete replacement, it is recommended to use settled water (you need to change the water as it gets dirty, but at least once a week). Turtles need warmth, so an incandescent lamp should be installed over the island, its heat dissipation is remarkable, and the light is more like sunlight.
Be sure to get an ultraviolet lamp; in the cold season, the turtles are irradiated with this light for three minutes at a distance of half a meter. All animals and reptiles need sunlight, so it is recommended to walk with a turtle in the summer, while the air temperature should not be lower than 25 ° C. If your pet's nails are too long, carefully trim them with nail clippers.
Be careful as there are blood vessels in the claws.
How to feed your turtle?
Red-eared turtles happily eat pellets, minced meat, and bloodworms. To eliminate the calcium deficiency, turtles need to be fed boiled fish (low-fat varieties). The pet's diet should not consist only of meat, as the turtle can get rickets. The menu should include animal feed; with age, it is better to give preference to plant foods. Until the age of two, feed the turtle daily; older pets should be fed two to three times a week.
Place food at the water's edge. When the red-eared turtle gets used to it, you can start feeding it on the islet by placing the food in a saucer of water. The pet should not lack plant food, give them young leaves of cabbage and lettuce, a variety of pond algae. Note that if you have fish in your tank, the turtle may eat them.
