Red-Eared Sliders E-Book

Philippe de Vosjoli

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 58

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

The remarkable red-eared slider is a freshwater turtle that belongs to the Emydidae family of turtles, of which there are currently fourteen subspecies. Although popular pets among children, red-eared sliders require a considerable amount of special care, and this colorful guide provides the necessary information to keep these turtles properly attended in captivity. Red-Eared Sliders, written by herp expert Philippe de Vosjoli, provides guidelines for keepers who wish to have success keeping, displaying, and breeding red-eared sliders and other popular freshwater turtles. This Advanced Vivarium Systems title includes information about selecting a healthy example, quarantine and acclimation considerations, housing needs, water and feeding, as well as solid advice about keeping red-eared sliders healthy and thriving. A separate chapter on diseases and disorders provides a complete primer on the health needs and veterinary care of these rewarding reptiles.

Leseprobe

Vice President, Chief Content Officer: June Kikuchi

Vice President, Kennel Club Books: Andrew DePrisco

Production Coordinators: Tracy Burns, Jessica Jaensch

I-5 Press: Jennifer Calvert, Amy Deputato, Lindsay Hanks

Karen Julian, Elizabeth L. McCaughey, Roger Sipe, Jarelle S. Stein

Special thanks to Clive Longden and Dorothy De Lisle for their invaluable advice.

All photos by Philippe de Vosjoli except where otherwise indicated

Copyright ©2001 by Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc.®

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or any information and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

LCCN: 96-183295ISBN-10: 1-882770-68-4ISBN-13: 978-1882770-68-7eISBN-13: 978-1937049-67-6

Cover photography by David Northcott

An Imprint of I-5 Press™A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC™3 BurroughsIrvine, CA 92618www.facebook.com/i5presswww.i5publishing.com

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CONTENTS

Introduction

General Information

Before You Buy

Selecting a Healthy Red-Eared Slider

Housing and General Care

Water and Filtration

Heating and Lighting

Feeding

Breeding

Diseases and Disorders

Other Popular Freshwater Turtles

If You Get Tired of Your Turtles

Resources

INTRODUCTION

Red-eared sliders and other freshwater turtles have been remarkably successful in colonizing freshwater habitats. In some areas, the density of these omnivorous predators is truly staggering. Their ability to survive and thrive in such areas is due, in part, to their relatively high intelligence and adaptive skills.

However, no matter how successful they are in the wild, they are ill prepared for the neglect and poor treatment often experienced in captivity at the hands of children. Ultimately, it is a parent’s responsibility to ensure this neglect does not occur. Turtles are not cheap, living play toys or substitutes for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Red-eared sliders and other freshwater turtles need proper care, attention, and a captive environment that may cost a significant amount of money. Of the several million hatchling red-ears sold outside of the United States, nearly 90 percent die in the first year. A large percentage of the adults sold in the general pet trade also die within their first year following capture. Considering that they are relatively easy reptiles to raise in captivity, this is an abomination.

When kept properly, red-eared sliders and other freshwater turtles are attractive, interesting animals easily capable of delighting their owners. A well-designed vivarium (a reptile enclosure that simulates the animal’s natural environment) can provide a display as eye-catching and fascinating as any tropical fish aquarium. In fact, several aspects of freshwater habitats can be successfully simulated in one’s home. These simulations will unlock a world not readily accessible to most people.

This book provides all the necessary information for you to successfully keep, display, and breed red-eared sliders and other popular freshwater turtles. A number of exotic freshwater turtle species can be maintained under the same general guidelines, as long as the vivarium temperatures are adjusted to meet the requirements of the species.

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

Red-eared sliders belong to the large turtle family Emydidae. They are a subspecies of the large and variable Trachemys scripta complex, which currently consists of fourteen subspecies that inhabit the United States, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.

The current scientific name of red-eared sliders is Trachemys scripta elegans. In most older publications, red-eared sliders and their relatives are listed under the genera Chrysemys or Pseudemys.

Given a proper setup, red-eared sliders make one of the most stunning and interesting vivarium animals available. Photo by Bill Love

Distribution: Red-eared sliders range from Indiana to New Mexico and south to the Gulf of Mexico and extreme northeast Mexico. There are relict colonies in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. As a result of released or escaped captives, populations also exist in several other localities.

Size: Adults normally reach 5 to 8 inches long. The largest recorded red-eared slider measured 11 inches.

Sexing: Males are smaller than females. When mature, males develop long foreclaws and have longer tails with a thicker base than those of females. In males, the vent (opening to the cloaca, the common cavity in which genital, digestive, and urinary tracts release their contents) is located at a greater distance from the body than in females. Hatchlings cannot be reliably sexed.

Mature male red-eared sliders (left) have a significantly longer tail than females (right).

Mature male red-eared sliders (left) have more elongated foreclaws than females (right).

Growth: In males, sexual maturity is a function of size, reached at a length of 3 to 4 inches. Depending on care, they achieve this size in two to four years. For females, sexual maturity appears to depend on age, not size. In the wild, females become sexually mature between five and seven years old. Mature females usually have a shell length of at least 5 inches. When raised under optimal captive conditions without hibernation, males reach sexual maturity in two and a half years and females reach it in three and a half years. Hatchlings and young animals fed high protein diets (25 to 40 percent) have a faster growth rate. Once these animals reach sexual maturity, reduce the protein to 10 to 25 percent of their diet.

Longevity: If kept under the proper conditions, red-eared sliders often live for fifteen to twenty-five years, sometimes even longer.

Color and Color Morphs

Because several million red-eared sliders are produced annually for sale outside of the United States and because many hobbyists selectively breed color morphs for their aesthetic appeal, several color morphs of red-eared sliders are now available in the specialist reptile trade. The most popular morph is the albino red-eared slider, which, as a juvenile, is bright lemon yellow with prominent orangered patches on the sides of the head. These albino red-ears vary in color intensity. Some have more washed out yellow coloration than others. As they grow into adults, the yellow tends to fade to cream yellow, but factors such as diet may affect this. Further selective breeding, such as outbreeding with ornate red-eared sliders from Texas, may improve this trait.

Most other red-eared slider morphs are sold under the general category “pastel.” The term is applied to a wide variety of color morphs, characterized by varying degrees of hypomelanism (reduced black), hypoxanthism (reduced yellow), aberrations in pattern, and varying degrees of yellow and red pigmentation. Thus, one can