How long can red-eared sliders stay under?

Red eared sliders generally can stay about 30 minutes underwater. During hibernation, they can spend months underwater without any problem. Basically, water is where red eared sliders dwell. In nature, red eared sliders can stay underwater for months.

How long can a red eared slider turtle live?

Red-Eared Sliders are capable of living for decades. In the wild, red sliders can live from 20 to 50 years. Pet turtles typically don’t live as long, but you can expect your turtle to live between 20 to 30 years with good care.

How often does a red eared slider lay eggs?

Red Eared Slider females usually lay between 3 and 5 clutches of eggs per year. The clutches are usually laid 15 to 30 days apart. As you can see a turtle will usually lay a minimum of 30 eggs per year and a maximum of around 150.

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.

How big does a red ear slider need to be?

Red-eared sliders make great pets but they don’t stay teeny-tiny and they need more than just a little dish to live in. Red-eared sliders can grow up to 12 inches in length. This means a small plastic enclosure will not provide enough room for a full-grown slider.

How long does a red ear slider live in a tank?

Need a large tank with special heating and lights. Tank needs a filtration system and frequent water changes. Depending on your experience level, these turtles can be difficult to care for. Red-Eared Sliders need lots of space and many live for well over 20 years.

Where can I get a red eared slider?

A great resource is the book “Red-Eared Sliders” from the Animal Planet Pet Care Library, available through Amazon . Releasing a slider to a pond or lake isn’t an alternative.

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

What’s the growth rate of a red ear slider?

In general, the growth rate of a red ear slider is affected by a lot of conditions like genetics, nutrition, and habitat conditions. But usually, they will grow at about 3 inches during their first year, and then around 1 inch per year in captivity. Similar to how red ear sliders will grow faster in captivity, they will also mature sexually faster.

How long can red eared sliders stay under?

Red eared sliders generally can stay about 30 minutes underwater. During hibernation, they can spend months underwater without any problem. Basically, water is where red eared sliders dwell. In nature, red eared sliders can stay underwater for months.

Can a red eared turtle drown?

Fill the Tank With Water Red-eared sliders need an adequate amount of water in which to swim. Red-eared sliders are strong swimmers, so you don’t need to worry about drowning as long as the turtle can get out of the water and there is no place it can get trapped underwater.

Where do red eared sliders go in the winter?

Red-eared sliders do not hibernate, but actually brumate; while they become less active, they do occasionally rise to the surface for food or air. Brumation can occur to varying degrees. In the wild, red-eared sliders brumate over the winter at the bottoms of ponds or shallow lakes.

What kind of turtle is the red eared slider?

Red-eared slider. The red-eared slider ( Trachemys scripta elegans ), also known as the red-eared terrapin, is a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of the pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and is also popular as a pet in the rest of the world.

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.

Are there any side effects to red eared sliders?

Reptiles are asymptomatic (meaning they suffer no adverse side effects) carriers of bacteria of the genus Salmonella. This has given rise to justifiable concerns given the many instances of infection of humans caused by the handling of turtles, which has led to restrictions in the sale of red-eared sliders in the USA.

How long can a red eared slider turtle live?

Red-Eared Sliders are capable of living for decades. In the wild, red sliders can live from 20 to 50 years. Pet turtles typically don’t live as long, but you can expect your turtle to live between 20 to 30 years with good care.

Where can I get a red eared slider?

A great resource is the book “Red-Eared Sliders” from the Animal Planet Pet Care Library, available through Amazon . Releasing a slider to a pond or lake isn’t an alternative.

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 reach sexual maturity?

Male red-eared sliders reach sexual maturity when their carapaces’ diameters measure 10 cm (3.9 in) and females reach maturity when their carapaces measure about 15 cm. Both males and females reach sexual maturity at 5–6 years old.

Why is my red eared slider active at night?

If your turtle is continually sleeping throughout the day, it’s too much. Most species of turtle are nocturnal, meaning that they sleep during the day and are active at night. Typically, the reason for this is to evade bigger, larger predators by moving around at night.

Can I let my red eared slider walk around my house?

Yes, you should look to let your turtle walk around. This will provide them exercise, provide mental stimulation and will meet their natural inclination to explore. You can let your turtle walk around both inside and outside; so long as you prepare the area in advance and ensure it is safe.