Do red-eared sliders need other turtles?

Red-eared sliders require a turtle dock area to bask out of the water; create basking areas for easy entry and exit to water. House adult aquatic turtles alone and do not house different turtle species together.

Where can I buy a red eared slider turtle?

Sliders are very easy to acquire, especially red-eared sliders. This is no surprise as they are cute, affable and easy to care for. Most turtle breeders have red-eared sliders for sale, and so do many pet stores that sell herptiles. Some great sites to find slider turtle breeders include Backwater Reptiles, CB Reptiles, PetSmart.

Can a red eared slider be kept in a pond?

And, if you have an outdoor pond, and a securely fenced yard to keep your turtle in and predators out, you might consider putting your turtle outdoors for at least part of the year. Water quality must be maintained no matter where you house your turtle and both supplemental heat and UVB lighting should be provided.

How long does it take for a red ear slider turtle to hatch?

The gestation period of the female can be days or weeks, while the incubation time is 59 to 112 days. The hatchlings break out of the eggs, using their temporary egg tooth, that would fall off within an hour of their coming out. Baby Red-Eared Slider Turtle Red-Eared Slider Turtle Egg

What kind of behavior does a red ear slider turtle have?

Behavior and Temperament. The red-eared slider is almost completely aquatic. Although harmless and peaceful, and are gregarious by nature, these turtles are extremely alert. They are territorial by nature. These creatures are cold-blooded and hence need to frequently come up in the land in groups for a warm-up.

How do you care for a red eared slider?

Caring for your red-eared slider requires more than just an aquarium, some water, and some mealworms. It’s important to take into account the unique diet, tank specifications, lighting requirements, and health issues associated with this breed.

What does a red eared slider turtle look like?

Red eared sliders are a medium-sized freshwater turtle, generally 125–200 mm long, but can grow up to 350 mm long. Females are usually larger than males (plastron length 150–195 mm, compared to 90–100 mm for males). The carapace and skin is olive to brown with yellow stripes or spots.

Can red eared slider live outside?

Some red eared slider turtles can live year-round in an ​outdoor pond if you live in a warm climate. If you do not live in a year-round warm climate, your turtle must either live entirely indoors or be brought inside when it gets cold out. But even outdoor ponds need to be large and are not without their own problems.

What are red eared sliders predators?

Crows, mink , otters, raccoons, pike, garter snakes, chipmunks, thirteen-lined ground and grey squirrels, groundhogs, badgers, grey fox, red fox, and humans are predators of the red eared slider. Red eared sliders mostly have predators when they’re young and even when they’re still an egg.

Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are medium-size turtles popular for beginner keepers because of their social personalities and hardy nature. These turtles can be housed with other turtles of their own species and with other similar species, such as map turtles, painted turtles and cooters.

How do you attract a red ear slider turtle?

In order to lure and keep the turtles happy, you’ll need to provide a pond, adequate food sources, ample shade, and places for the turtles to bask in the sun. Natural shelters are also helpful to protect the turtles from unwanted predators.

What do red-eared sliders like to play with?

What Do Turtles Like To Play With?

  • Turtles like to play with empty shells and rafts.
  • Similarly, turtles like to play with plants and sticks.
  • Turtles also like to play in the mud.
  • If your aquarium is large and has caves inside it, turtles will love it.
  • They even like to play with toys such as ping pong balls and duckies.

    Can red-eared sliders be friendly?

    Red-eared sliders are friendly—for turtles. They have shown levels of intelligence and owner recognition, and will frequently greet their keeper during feeding time, sometimes even eating out of the palm of their hand. Red-eared sliders aren’t aggressive with people, but they will bite if scared or handled roughly.

    How smart are red-eared sliders?

    Red-eared sliders are the most widely kept turtles. They are smart in a way as they are known to also recognize their owner’s voice as well as their look. They can solve problems such as trying to escape when he is not in his aquarium. He can respond to his name and some commands.

    How do I know my turtle is happy?

    Swollen, cloudy, or “weepy” eyes with a discharge are all common signs your turtle is sick. Another very common sign is mouth breathing or straining to breathe. If your turtle looks healthy and is breathing normally, this is a good indicator they’re happy.

    Why are red-eared sliders illegal?

    Since 1975, however, selling baby turtles that are less than 4 inches long has been illegal in the U.S., because some reptiles—red-eared sliders included—can harbor salmonella on their skin.

    Can red-eared sliders eat apples?

    Some experts recommend fresh fruits such as bananas, berries, apples, and melon. However, this isn’t a natural staple in the red-eared sliders diet, and it may cause diarrhea. If you offer any fruit at all, limit it to very small quantities as a special treat. Don’t feed frozen fish, or at least not very often.

    How can I prevent my turtle from getting salmonella?

    Always take these steps to stay healthy around your pet turtle:

    1. Wash your hands. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching, feeding, or caring for your turtle and after cleaning its habitat.
    2. Play safely. Don’t kiss or snuggle your turtle, and don’t eat or drink around it.
    3. Keep things clean.

    What human food can red-eared sliders eat?

    Yes, you can give shredded apples to your red-eared slider. However, only give them as a treat as apples are rich in sugar quantity. What kind of human food can you feed a turtle? These are some of the human foods that a turtle can eat without any problem: potatoes, green beans, apples, berries, bananas, carrots etc.

    Toys

    • Shells – Turtles love playing with empty shells.
    • Rafts – Your turtle will also love it if you put a small raft or other floating objects in their tank.
    • Small kid toys – Any brightly colored kid’s toy can be a fun turtle toy, as long as there aren’t any parts that can come off easily.

    Why do turtles touch each other’s faces?

    Turtles slap each other to show affection or dominance over each other. Slapping is quite normal in turtles, and it is usually done by male turtles to impress the female turtles. However, a male turtle can also slap another male turtle when it wants to show its dominance over the other male turtle.

    Do turtles like music?

    There is no scientific proof that turtles and tortoises actually like music. On the flip side, there is no proof that they dislike music either. But some turtles and tortoises do grow to respond to certain songs that their owners play often. Some tortoises may like music while others won’t.

    Does red-eared slider turtle bite hurt?

    Biting. Red-eared sliders may bite — and the bite can be quite painful. The bite will probably only hurt but may be more damaging to young kids with small fingers. Keep in mind that red-eared sliders won’t bite “just because.” In most cases, a bite is a result of an animal being mishandled or hurt.

    What kind of turtle is a red eared slider turtle?

    Red-Eared Slider Turtle General Info. The Red-Eared Slider Turtle is one of the most popular and most commonly kept pet turtles. These turtles are great swimmers, and they really enjoy spending most of their time underwater; however, they do spend a lot of time basking as well. In fact, on sunny and warm days in the wild,…

    Can a red eared slider be a pet?

    Red eared sliders are by far the most popular pet turtle out there, but most people unfortunately do not take the time to get to know the species before bringing it into their home. Sure, the guy at the pet store can tell you the basics (what to feed it, what equipment you’ll need), but where would this turtle be if it was never hatched as a pet.

    How did the red eared slider get its name?

    This freshwater turtle was named for the thick red stripe behind each ear. Red-Eared Sliders ( Trachemys scripta elegans) are a subspecies of the Common Slider (Trachemys scripta) which is one of three North American Pond Sliders. Some other subspecies of the pond slider include the yellow-bellied slider and the Cumberland.

    When does the red ear slider turtle brumate?

    Wild red-eared slider turtles start their brumation period in late autumn, and it usually ends when the temperatures are rising up. Red-eared slider turtles kept as pets should not brumate. Another interesting fact about red-eared slider turtles is the way genders form.

    What fish can live with red ear slider turtle?

    Red ear sliders will try to eat most fish kept with them. In a large habitat, fish like koi may survive with red ear sliders, though the turtles may nip their fins. Very small, agile fish like guppies may be able to survive with turtles, though they may overpopulate the tank.

    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 many eggs does a red eared slider turtle lay?

    Red Eared Slider turtles usually lay between 10 and 30 eggs. There have been cases when a red eared slider turtle laid 40 or more eggs, but most of them will lay between 10 and 30 eggs.

    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.