Turtle

Looking for a small freshwater turtle to have as a pet? Enter the world of musk turtles!
Belonging to the genus Sternotherus, musk turtle refers to one of the four small turtle species that thrive in freshwater. They are highly-aquatic, although they are also sometimes found on land. These turtles are commonly found in North America and Canada.

Physical Characteristics

Musk turtles are known for being small. The most popular from this family is the common musk turtle, which has an approximate length of two to five inches. The shell is usually black or dark brown. The latter is often mottled or streaked, which is a result of the formation of algae.
Meanwhile, the head of the common musk turtle has two parallel yellow stripes. They extend from the nose to its neck. As the turtle becomes older, the color of the stripes tends to fade.

Behavior

Because they are aquatic, musk turtles spend most of their time in the water, including ponds and creeks. The female turtles usually just go to the land when it is time to lay their eggs. They can also climb in trees that are partially submerged in the water. They are slow-paced and known for being walkers and poor swimmers.
The most notable behavior of the musk turtle is its defense mechanism. Once it feels threatened, it releases a liquid from its musk glands. The foul smell of the liquid is its greatest defense tactic to avoid being disturbed. This is also the reason why this type of turtle is also known as stinkpot.

Environment

In the wild, musk turtles are naturally found in wetland habitats. While they are common in waterways, because they swim poorly, and they walk slowly under the water, they prefer slow-moving and calm bodies of water, especially those with a calm ground. They cannot tolerate brackish water unlike the case of a mud turtle. During the winter, a musk turtle spends its time buried in the mud.
If you are going to have a musk turtle as a pet, you need to recreate an ideal environment for it to survive. Among others, one of the most important is the housing. There should be a turtle tank to provide the enclosure. The width of the tank should be at least 600 mm and the turtles should be submerged in water since they are aquatic.
The habitat of the turtle should also be designed in such a way that it can move out of the water and bask when needed. Because there is no sun, it will be good to use a lamp. One of the best examples of the latter is the

Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot Lamp

It has 150 watts of power and will be more than enough to increase the ambient temperature in the terrarium.
Because they spend most of their time in the water, owners of musk turtles should also pay attention to making sure that the water is clean. It should be treated to remove chlorine. On average, the water temperature should be 25 degrees Celsius. When it comes to the treatment of water, one product worth checking out is the

Zoo Med ReptiSafe Instant Terrarium Water Conditioner

Which can remove chlorines, chloramines, and heavy metals in the water.
It is also recommended that you have a bare bottom tank. However, if you decide to have substrates, opt for large gravel. Take note that these turtles are slow walkers, so you need to provide a ground where they can easily walk.
Decoration for their habitat is also important, not only for the purpose of aesthetics but to also provide them with an area for basking. Large pebbles and artificial plants will be good to have in the terrarium.

Foods and Vitamins

Musk turtles are carnivorous. Their food consists mostly of invertebrates that can be found in their aquatic habitat. Often, they eat snails, freshwater clams, crawfish, carrion, leeches, insects, shrimp, and tadpoles. They also eat aquatic plants, although this is more common for those who are already adults. Often, the hatchlings have a more carnivorous diet.
As pets, you will have a wide range of options when it comes to what to feed your turtle. Bloodworms, cricket, shrimps, and earthworms are some of the best foods that you can give to your pet musk turtle. The older ones can also be fed plant matter.
It is also important to feed the turtles with Vitamins A and D3. With the latter, one of the perfect products worth considering is the

Zoo Med Reptile Calcium

The latter is a supplement that is a must-have for turtles that require D3 for the assimilation of calcium.

Health Problems

As it is common with other captive turtles, your pet can suffer from deficiencies of Vitamins A and E. This is especially true if the turtle is used to a high-protein diet. This makes it important to provide them with supplemental calcium. Feeding them with duckweed and water lettuce will also help, despite the fact that they are carnivorous.

Other Tips for Taking Care of Musk Turtle

Aside from those that have been already discussed above, below are other things that can be done to take care of a musk turtle if you are having it as a pet:

• It is advised that you do not put two male musk turtles together in one tank. If you have a male and female musk turtle together in a tank, watch out for their behavior. When one starts showing signs of aggressiveness, take it out of the tank.
• Be careful when handling musk turtles. At times, they can be aggressive and attempt to bite you. Be as gentle as possible when holding it. Your fingers should be placed at the rear of its carapace.
• Pay attention to the frequency at which they are fed. Musk turtles that are less than six months should eat twice in a day. Those who are more than six months, on the other hand, should eat once a day.

Box turtles are native to Mexico and the United States. They are mainly terrestrial, which is why they are also often called box tortoises. They are long-living but they are quite challenging to have as a pet, which makes it important to be committed. It is typical for these turtles to live 30 to 60 years on average.
If you are looking for a box turtle to have as a pet, some of the most common species you should check out include Eastern box turtle, Gulf Coast box turtle, three-toed box turtle, and Western ornate box turtle. Most of them share the same characteristics but they may be different in terms of their physical appearance, as it will be described later in this post.

Physical Characteristics

The physical characteristics of the box turtle can vary from one type to another. Regardless of the subspecies, however, one thing that is common is that they are small. It can grow anywhere from 4.5 to 7 inches.
Generally, a male box turtle has a slightly concave lower shell, bright red eyes, and a vent that lies near the tail’s end. On the other hand, a female box turtle has a flat plastron, brown eyes, and a vent near the tail’s base.

Behavior

Box turtles are known for being able to pull their arms, legs, and head inside the shell. This provides them with a boxy appearance, and hence, the reason why they are called box turtles.
One more thing worth noting about the behavior of box turtles is that they are crepuscular. The latter means that they are most active when it is dawn and dusk. During the day, they can be seen hiding in the ground as a way to prevent heat.

Environment

As it has been mentioned earlier, box turtles are known for being terrestrial. To be specific, some of the common places where they live include forests with moist soil, grasslands, and open woodlands.
If you are having a box turtle as a pet, your location and the species of the turtle will dictate the housing that is suitable. In most cases, however, you will need to create an outdoor pen. The size should be about 4×8 feet. As for the placement of the pen, you need to put it somewhere it receives light and heat from the sun most of the day.
You can also place the box turtle indoors as long as there is an appropriate habitat. The enclosure should be large enough for the turtle to move. A turtle table, which is made of a rectangular and shallow wood will be an excellent choice.
One of the requirements for the enclosure or habitat of the box turtle is to add substrates. Some of the best options worth considering are the

#1 Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate

#2 Reptile Prime Coconut Fiber Bedding Substrate

This will aid in retaining moisture and in providing the turtle with the opportunity to burrow even if it is in an enclosed habitat.
Especially if the box turtle is indoors, you also need to provide a heat lamp. It will also be good to invest in the

#3 Zoo Med Reptile Lamp Stand

This way, you can easily adjust the height of the lamp depending on the needs of the turtle. It will provide the turtle with a warming spot.
Aside from a lamp, you might also want to consider adding a heat mat. The

#4 Jump Start Heating Mat

will be an excellent addition to the turtle’s indoor habitat. While it is technically advertised as a seedling heat map, it can also be great for regulating the temperature in the housing of the turtle.

Foods and Vitamins

Box turtles are omnivores and they are known for being opportunistic. Meaning, they eat almost anything that is possible. When they are in the wild, some of their most common food sources include beetles, snails, earthworms, mushrooms, carrion, flowers, worms, grubs, and fruits.
For box turtles as pets, you need to provide a varied diet to maintain its best state of health. It would be best to give the box turtle an equal mix of fresh vegetables and fruits and low-protein food sources, which include earthworms, snails, slugs, and beetles. They are also attracted to bright colors, so they will love tomatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries, bell pepper, and romaine lettuce. They use their sense of sight and smell to detect food.
Their diet should be supplemented with a calcium source that is free of phosphorus. With this, consider buying the

#5 Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Calcium with Vitamin D3

However, in theory, as long as you provide the box turtle with the right food, you won’t need to provide vitamins and supplements.

Health Problems

Among others, one of the common health problems amongst box turtles is dehydration. If your turtle is dehydrated, the easiest solution is to have it placed in a shallow bowl that contains tepid water.
They are also susceptible to a number of parasites. Nematode parasites and parasitic flies are some of the most common concerns. Ticks can also be an issue, especially for box turtles that are outdoors.
Metabolic bone disease is another health problem that is commonly experienced by box turtles. The latter is due to the insufficient exposure to UVB. This can weaken the bone of the box turtle and can even result in death.
Box turtles can also suffer from respiratory infections as a result of a deficiency in Vitamin A.

Other Tips for Taking Care of Box Turtle

Aside from those that have already been discussed above, below are other important things to remember when it comes to taking care of a box turtle as your pet:

• Box turtles hate being handled. You have to observe utmost care when holding it. They will be more behaved if they can sense that you have food with you. It is also best to house them away from others.
• They can carry salmonella, similar to other turtles. To avoid the transmission, it is best that they are not allowed to roam freely.
• It is also recommended that the box turtle undergoes a routine preventive examination at least once every six months or a year. A fecal examination is recommended to detect the presence of parasites.

While aquatic turtles will indeed make great pets, the problem is that they typically need large enclosures to survive. Thankfully, with species like the map turtle, they are generally smaller, and hence, they do not need to have a large habitat.

 

Also known as saw back turtles, they are endemic in North America. This means that North America is the only place where they can be seen in the wild. There are 13 species of the map turtle, which include Northern or common map turtle, false map turtle, Alabama map turtle, Texas map turtle, and Pearl River map turtle.

Physical Characteristics

The map turtles are named after their physical appearance, although it should be pointed out that different species exhibit different characteristics, especially when it comes to coloration. Nonetheless, one thing that is common is that their carapace has a sort of pattern that looks like a map at first sight. The map lines are usually orange or yellow. Between the lines, you can see brown and green.

Another physical characteristic of a map turtle is the presence of thick lines on the face and limbs, which are usually bright yellow.

Map turtles are also known for being relatively small compared to other types of aquatic turtle. On average, the females have an approximate length of seven to ten inches. Males, on the other hand, are commonly three to seven inches in length.

On average, the lifespan of a map turtle is anywhere from 15 to 20 years.

Behavior

Map turtles are known for actively basking under the heat of the sun. While there are some turtles that spend most of the time burrowing, in the case of map turtles, they spend lots of hours enjoying the heat of the sun. Despite this, they also prefer to be near the water, which will allow them to swim anytime they want.

They are also known for being friendly species, which is why they are commonly chosen as pets. However, take note that females tend to be more dominant. If possible, avoid having them in a large group.

Environment

In the wild, you will often find map turtles in clear rivers that are fast-flowing. With this, you have to recreate such an environment if you want to have it as a pet. Although map turtles are small, you need to have a large aquarium that will provide lots of room to swim and move.

For full-grown turtles, you need an aquarium that has a capacity of at least 75 gallons. Since females are generally larger than males, they also need to have a larger housing. More than the size of the aquarium, the more important consideration is the quality of the water that will be used in the tank. The clarity is critical, which makes it important to install a large water filter. This will also eliminate the waste and buildup in the water.

Earlier, we have mentioned that map turtles like basking under the sun. If they are indoors, the best thing that you can do is to install a spotlight that mimics the heat of the sun. In this case, the

#1 Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot Lamp

#2 BYB Ceramic Infrared Heat Lamp

are two of the best choices worth considering.

An outdoor pond will also be an ideal environment for a map turtle, especially for larger species or if you intend to take care of more than one turtle. Make sure to provide them with a basking spot.

Regardless of whether they are kept indoors or outdoors, you need to provide a spot where they can climb when it is time to bask. One of the best products for this is the

#3 Fluker’s Castle Crib Reptile Basking Platform

Foods and Vitamins

Map turtles eat both animal and plant matter, making their diet omnivorous. Because they are aquatic turtles, their foods are floating in the water. When they are young, they prefer plant matter. As they grow older, however, their jaw muscles become developed, which makes it easier to eat animal matter.

Some of the best foods that can be given to feed map turtles include blackworms, bloodworms, feeder fish, crayfish, crickets, and earthworms. Dark and leafy vegetables will also be great, such as parsley, dandelion greens, and romaine. They also enjoy eating freeze-dried shrimp.

There are also many prepared and commercially-available foods that will be good for map turtles. Generally, you have to look for those with about 30 to 40% protein, less than 20% fat, and a high ratio of calcium to phosphate.

Similar to other turtles, it will also need Vitamin D3, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy condition of the shell and bone. With this, consider giving

#4 Zoo Med Repti Calcium

to the turtle to supplement its needs for Vitamin D3.

Health Problems

Shell and fungal infections are some of the most common problems that will confront map turtles. The easiest way to prevent this is to provide them with enough sunlight. If they are indoors, as mentioned earlier, a basking lamp will be helpful. The lamp may not be enough, so you will have to occasionally take the turtle outside.

Ear and skin infections can also be apparent, especially when the water quality is inferior. The right pH and oxygen levels will be important. It is also recommended that you use a product like

#5 Zoo Med Repti Safe Instant Terrarium Water Conditioner

Other Tips for Taking Care of Map Turtle

To have peace of mind and provide the best living conditions for map turtles, below are other important things to keep in mind:

• Similar to most species of aquatic turtles, map turtles do not like to be cuddled or held. Do not pick them up unless it is necessary to do so.
• Immediately wash your hands after holding map turtles as they can spread salmonella.
• Especially if you will keep the turtle in outdoor ponds, add lots of natural plants, such as water hyacinth or water lettuce. This will help to maintain a high level of oxygen.
• Females can be aggressive, so be sure to not make the space crowded. Adding decors will also help to give each turtle a private space, especially when basking. Better yet, keep them in separate tanks.