What kind of turtle is red ear slider?
The red-eared slider, Chrysemys scripta elegans, is a subspecies of pond slider (Chrysemys scripta), which remains easily obtained and highly sought after for the pet trade. These aquatic turtles are easily cared for if properly educated about there needs and requirements.
Why does my red ear slider turtle refuse to eat?
And stress is one of the main reasons turtles refuse to eat. If you have kids, and they are in charge of taking care of the turtle, educate them on the subject. Turtles are ectotherms, and their body temperature will depend on the temperature in the room.
Can a veterinarian take care of a red ear slider?
A veterinary specialist trained to treat exotic pets like aquatic turtles will be able to supplement any baby red eared slider care sheet you have already received, help you begin to build a health record and history for your baby turtle and give you specific recommendations about diet, supplements, turtle tank setup and much more.
What should the water temperature be for a baby red ear slider turtle?
This is twice as important for baby turtles, which have a stricter, narrower temperature tolerance range than adult turtles. For baby red ear slider care, you will need to precisely maintain temperatures as follows: 78 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit for the water temperature. 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the basking spot.
What do baby red ear slider turtles like to eat?
A baby red eared slider’s appetite is voracious. A baby red eared slider should primarily eat protein-rich foods. You may be tempted to use turtle pellets to make up the bulk of your turtle’s diet.
What is the life cycle of a red eared slider?
Smaller species, such as box turtles (Terrapene carolina ssp.) and red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), have wild life spans of 20 to 30 years, though occasional specimens live to be 50 or more.
How much does a red eared slider turtle cost?
An Overview. Depending on their species, turtles can vary in cost. Red-eared sliders, one of the most common pet turtles , can be found for as little as $20 in pet stores, while some types can be purchased from breeders at a much higher cost.
What do you feed a red eared slider?
Remember that adult red eared sliders are quite herbivorous so if your turtle seems overly hungry, try feeding more leafy greens and plant material rather than aquatic turtle pellets or prey food items. The amount of food you feed depends a bit on your individual turtle.
Red eared slider turtles are aquatic turtles that have been popular as pets for a long time. In fact, at one time they were even sold in dime stores. Red eared sliders are resilient creatures and tolerate a range of conditions (such as various water temperatures, pH, and hardness).
How often do Red Eared Sliders need to be fed?
The young turtles are mainly carnivorous and become more omnivorous as they grow into adults. As pets, red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles can be fed daily as hatchlings and juveniles, reducing the feedings to every other day as adult turtles.
What kind of prey does red ear slider turtle eat?
Prey items: Earthworms, crickets, waxworms, silkworms, aquatic snails, bloodworms, daphnia, shrimp, krill, and mealworms. For very small red eared slider turtles, prey may have to be cut into smaller pieces.
When to build an outdoor enclosure for a turtle?
You should only build an outdoor enclosure for your turtle if you live in an area that is relatively warm year round. A good rule of thumb is to see whether your turtle breed is native to similar climates.
How big does a red ear slider turtle get?
A full-grown adult red-eared slider turtle can reach up to 12 inches in turtle shell length, with females usually being the largest. There are rare situations of adult red-eared sliders getting larger than 12 inches. Red-Eared Slider Growth Rate
How big of a tank do I need for a red eared slider?
First of all, you need to know how big a red-eared slider can actually get and at what pace is growing in size. A good rule of thumb when choosing the turtle tank size is to have about 10 gallons per inch of shell turtle, so for a red-eared slider that’s about 3 inches long, you should ideally put him in an at least 30-gallon turtle tank.
When does a red eared slider become an adult?
The Red-Eared Slider is primarily aquatic and will emerge from the water for basking. Will reach adult size in 12 to 18 months under ideal conditions; upgrade habitat size as your turtle grows.
What to do with a red eared slider?
Substrate – Slate, rock or gravel that is too large to eat is optional; water for swimming area; some aquatic turtles require a shallow area they can rest in the water with their head sticking out. Red-eared sliders require a turtle dock area to bask out of the water; create basking areas for easy entry and exit to water.
