How often should I feed my Mississippi map turtle?
between 4 and 5 times per week
Young turtles will have bigger appetites and should be fed daily. Adult Mississippi maps can be fed between 4 and 5 times per week. Since they eat in the water, place veggie leaves in the water and on the basking site, or clip them to the side of the enclosure with a rubber suction cup.
What can I feed my Mississippi map turtle?
Food and Water Aquatic turtle pellets are a good staple diet for map turtles, but they should also get some fresh, leafy vegetables or plants.
How can you tell if a Mississippi map turtle is male or female?
Females will appear bulkier, while males will be leaner like juveniles. Also, a female’s tail will be smaller than a male’s tale, and a male’s tail will have a thicker base. Plus, a male turtle will have nails on his forelegs that are a bit longer than those on a female.
How to take care of a Mississippi map turtle?
Mississippi map turtles should have no signs of flaking or unusual bumps on both the front and back shell. Their eyes should be clear, and their skin should not show any signs of irritation or infection. Whenever possible, arrange to watch the animal eat before taking it on as your pet, just to ensure that it has a healthy appetite.
When to know if your turtle has an eye infection?
If you notice that your pet has an eye or eyes that are swollen, sunken, crusty, pus under the eyelids or that they have trouble fully opening them, it’s a good indicator that something is not well. A turtle that can’t see won’t eat so it’s important to treat the eye infection or issue as soon as possible.
What to do if your turtle’s eyes are crusted?
In this case, the eyes will look swollen and skin lesions and redness will appear. If the eyes are crusted shut, soak your turtles in warm water at depths of half its body. You can also try using a spray bottle to clear the eye of crust. Depending on the symptoms, you might want to add or subtract a vitamin A supplement from your turtle’s diet.
Can a pet map turtle get an ear infection?
Intestinal parasites are found naturally in most reptiles, including pet map turtles, but they can become a problem if they overpopulate their intestinal tract. Therefore, annual fecal parasite exams should be performed by your exotics vet. If water quality is a problem, your turtle can get skin, shell, and ear infections from the dirty water.
Mississippi map turtles should have no signs of flaking or unusual bumps on both the front and back shell. Their eyes should be clear, and their skin should not show any signs of irritation or infection. Whenever possible, arrange to watch the animal eat before taking it on as your pet, just to ensure that it has a healthy appetite.
If you notice that your pet has an eye or eyes that are swollen, sunken, crusty, pus under the eyelids or that they have trouble fully opening them, it’s a good indicator that something is not well. A turtle that can’t see won’t eat so it’s important to treat the eye infection or issue as soon as possible.
How big does a Mississippi map turtle get?
Thankfully there are smaller water turtles like the Mississippi map turtle that don’t require such large habitats. Names: Mississippi Map Turtle, Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni Size: Females grow to be up to 10 inches long and males up to five inches long Lifespan: Over 30 years
Intestinal parasites are found naturally in most reptiles, including pet map turtles, but they can become a problem if they overpopulate their intestinal tract. Therefore, annual fecal parasite exams should be performed by your exotics vet. If water quality is a problem, your turtle can get skin, shell, and ear infections from the dirty water.
What temperature do Mississippi map turtles need?
between 22 – 25C
The temperature of the water should remain between 22 – 25C for adult turtles, though it is recommended to keep youngsters slightly warmer, and this can be achieved with the right sized aquarium heater.
Do Mississippi map turtles like to be held?
Because they are so skittish, Mississippi map turtles shouldn’t be handled often. They are the perfect pet for viewing, but not holding. Handling the turtle too much could cause unnecessary stress. If you do have to hold your turtle, do so briefly.
How can you tell if a map turtle is male or female?
The most common way to determine gender in a turtle is to look at the length of its tail. 3 Female turtles have short and skinny tails while males sport long, thick tails, with their vent (cloaca) positioned closer to the end of the tail when compared to a female.
Can Mississippi map turtles eat apples?
Food and Water Map turtles are omnivores that eat their food while swimming. Fresh, chopped apple pieces and freeze-dried shrimp can be offered as treats but should not make up a large percentage of your turtle’s diet. For the meat portion of their diet, map turtles also eat some insects, crustaceans, and fish.
