Observe the nest carefully for signs of hatching. If you’re providing them with an age-appropriate commercial feed, along with assorted proteins, leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables, you need not worry so much about the details of what you’re feeding them. It's more than just a bowl with a little bit of water and a rock. 1.How can I tell? If you’d like to grow plants for your slider to eat, you can do so. In the wild they’ll eat just about everything they come across, but as adults they eat mostly plants. Breeders know when she’s ready to lay because she will often stop feeding and become somewhat hyperactive. Shell rot most often appears as a light spot on your turtle’s shell. Pet sliders should be fed a similar diet. These include raw meats from the grocery store and processed meats, such as hot dogs. Look at their eyes, shell, how they swim, and whether or not they seem very active. Female sliders will lay eggs regardless of whether they are fertilized and require an appropriate nesting area in their home (or at least a separate nesting box for the owner to place her in for short periods when she is ready to lay). C lutch size for Red-eared Sliders ranges between 2 and 23 eggs 7,8,9,10,11,12, & a single female can produce up to 5 clutches per year 13. Allow the female to cover the hole and return to the water before removing the eggs. They also need clean water, so expect to change their water and clean their filters roughly once a week. Get a heating pad and keep it under the container for the eggs. I have my red ear slider for about 10 years. You can improve your luck by examining the turtle first, preferably in the store (or breeder/dealer). If you are looking for red ear slider turtle for sale cheap then you would want the common red-eared slider babies for sale. Are they active and alert? As aquatic turtles, sliders spend most of their time in the water, and that’s where they like to eat. About This Section. The Red Ear slider turtle is probably the most popular. The basking site, or haul-out spot, is where your turtle will climb out of the water to warm itself, whether under a heat light or the sun. This particular section will cover the possible topics that any RES owner may encounter. Nests are dug well above water level, usually within 500 m … Check with your local humane society as well. Some females will retain their eggs rather than dropping them in water if they do not have a nest and will become egg bound (a serious problem). The clutches are usually laid 15 to 30 days apart. Box turtle eggs hatch in a 9-10 week incubation period with an average clutch size of 3 to 7 eggs. Relevance. She is alone, so I am assuming the eggs … Compared to other aquarium creatures, red-eared sliders require a relatively large amount of space. Some foods, however, should be avoided. Red Eared Slider Eggs? Like other reptiles, birds, and mammals, they breath air, though they spend much of their time in and near the water. The red-eared slider is named for the red-line running behind its eyes and the sliding motion it makes as it slips from a rock into the water. Red Eared Slider females usually lay between 3 and 5 clutches of eggs per year. Or you can get a heat lamp. (For red eared sliders this could for example be 50 x 50 cm / 19,5 x 19,5 inch.) 2 Answers. The heater’s settings may not always be correct, and if the device fails, the thermometer is there to tell you. Foam pads make suitable mechanical filters, and there are number of options for biological filter media, such as bio balls or lava rock. In terms of the tank size, if you have a baby hatchling, you might need only a 10-gallon tank to start. Here’s a Red Eared Slider Food list with some of the foods they can and cannot eat: Leafy Greens: romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, collard greens, Wild Plants: common plantain, chickweed, dandelion, white clover, henbit, Vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, squash, pumpkin, Fruits: apples, pears, berries, melon, mangos, figs, Proteins: frozen bloodworms, mealworms, earthworms, silkworms, mosquito larvae, boiled meats (shrimp, chicken, and beef), live fish, pinkie mice, and cuttlebone, Do not feed them: processed meats (hot dogs, etc. It’s perhaps not surprising that, over time, some people find that they can longer care for their slider. Sliders, and other turtles, don’t have any teeth. Creative turtle owners use all sorts of novel housing ideas to meet the roomy requirements of their red eared sliders using things like pre-formed plastic pond liners to make homes more like indoor ponds. There is no way of telling, simply by looking at it, whether your turtle has the salmonella bacteria on its body or not. Use of a GFCI helps to prevent you from electrical shock by shutting off the electrical circuit when the interrupter detects a power leak. Private breeders are typically interested in producing valuable morphs, such as albino red-ears and pastels with varying degrees of yellow and red coloration. If your water is looking grimy, you should change it. Aquatic turtles, including red eared sliders, will need special lighting, animal- and plant-based foods, and continuous cleaning and maintenance. Regardless of the source, it’s always a good idea to do some research before purchasing your turtle. Feeding your turtle outside of their home is a bit more work for you at feeding time but it will make it easier to keep the tank clean and the overall water quality good in the long run (which is best for your turtle to avoid ear infections, shell problems, etc.). Or you can get a heat lamp. For instance, you can take your turtle back to the pet store you bought it from. Keep in mind the fact that your slider breathes air, not water. Use a screen to help prevent this from happening. Place it under a reflector-type light fixture (heating and lighting is discussed in the following section). Plants help you to create a more natural-looking home environment for your turtle. A turtle that has not been cared for properly could have health issues that may not become apparent until you get home, or it might die prematurely. Water quality must be maintained no matter where you house your turtle and both supplemental heat and UVB lighting should be provided. When approached, they nimbly “slide” into the water, safe from harm. After mating, the red-eared slider is responsible enough to bask for longer hours to keep her eggs warm. Some females will retain their eggs rather than dropping them in water if they do not have a nest and will become egg bound (a serious problem). Be very gentle and careful because there … Pond pumps are convenient because they can be placed directly into your tank to pump water through a hose. Turtles are some of the longest living pets you will find. Although they will drop them in the water, this is not a red eared slider's preferred way to lay eggs. For the past few weeks, she hasnt been eating. In general, you want to avoid all processed foods, except for those that have been made especially for aquatic turtles. There are a few basic things you can do to ensure easy ​cleanup and a healthy turtle. Native Range: Red-eared sliders can be from in the Mississippi valley from Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Tennessee and Cumberland river valleys from Kentucky and Virginia to Alabama. Red-eared sliders can be purchased from large-scale dealers, breeders, animal rescues, and from pet stores, both online and offline. She has been running around the tank for a few days and this morning she had dug herself a … You can encourage breeding by placing your turtles in a cool room (50 to 60 °F) during winter and reducing the light over their basking area to ten hours. Inside this red-eared slider guide, you will learn everything you need to know to raise a healthy slider of your own. If you have a small tank, remove your turtle and any accessories, pour out the tank water, wipe down the tank walls with paper towels, and refill. The best way to protect your family from the possibility of infection by Salmonella is to wash your hands thoroughly any time you handle a turtle. Vitamin D3 helps your turtle’s body absorb the calcium it needs to build a strong shell and bones. Shell rot is caused by infection of your turtle’s shell by both fungal and bacterial organisms. Not only is it more attractive, they’ll be happier and healthier if you do. If you have a particularly dirty tank, or a sick turtle, you can also clean your tank with a mild detergent (or a 5-percent bleach solution). My wife and I want to get a pet turtle because we are both allergic to dog and cat hair. Pet red-eared sliders can live in glass or acrylic aquariums, indoor ponds or outdoor ponds, and even fiberglass kiddie pools. The incubation period lasts from 60 to 80 days (Bonin et al., 2006: 399). Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)Also know as Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta)Species Code: PSSC Description: Red-eared Sliders are brightly marked, and look similar to the painted turtle. A female RES can be gravid without the presence of a male and the eggs will not be fertilized. Your average adult slider requires no less than a 55-gallon tank. Your vet may recommend X-rays, antibiotics, and keeping the water in your tank at a higher temperature. Before you bring home a red eared slider there are a few things to check out to increase the odds that you are bringing home a healthy turtle. If you have a large tank, use a siphon or mechanical pump, such as a pond or utility pump. I did not know this even though I had done a lot of online research to care for my turtles, and was horrified when I learned that I had provided an inadequate environment! While Red-Eared Sliders, Painted and Snapping Turtles and other largely aquatic turtles are among the hardiest reptilian pets, providing for gravid (egg-bearing) females can be very difficult…failure to do so, however, can result in the turtle’s death. First of all, do not release your pet into the local pond. The shell of a red-eared slider is made of its ribs joined together, then covered with a thin skin layer. Feed them an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and proteins two or three times per week. Thanks in advance for any advice. Their natural range is from Indiana to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, though sliders have been introduced into the wild well beyond this range. I am new to the forum. Some turtles are very smart: They want a egg laying place, which is above the water level, so their eggs do not getting flooded. Red-eared sliders can live up to 20 years in captivity, which means they're a serious commitment. Retrieving the Eggs When ready to deposit their eggs, female red-ear sliders excavate a small chamber in dirt or sand. If we end up buying one, I'll be sure to go buy some fruits, vegetables, and proteins so we can substitute those for its pellet food every once in a while. Lv 5. This is an Sliders cannot eat fireflies, chocolate, avocados, or onions. Soft spots on the shell could indicate shell rot. Cover the eggs with some more moss. Learn where to get a red eared slider (including possibly rescuing one) and how to tell whether or not your turtle of choice is healthy. Vosjoli, Philippe de. Once finished, toss out the dirty water. Turtles that are sold by street vendors should almost always be avoided. Do this immediately after handling one, taking care not to touch your mouth before washing your hands. Red Eared Slider turtles usually lay between 10 and 30 eggs. Instead, simply place your turtle inside a small shoebox or plastic container that has been lined with a slightly wet material, such as dampened paper towels or shredded newspaper. As the young ones make it to the real world, they have their first face-off with predators. (Each incubation period depends on temperature and seasonal conditions.) Provide 1 additional square foot of surface area for each additional turtle. The surface area of your tank should be no less than 2 square feet for 1 turtle. However, the risks of salmonella from pet turtles is nothing new and can be managed quite easily. Favorite Answer. I’ve written about the problem of Dystocia, or retained eggs, in the past. Hatchlings and juveniles require considerably more protein than adults; adults need more plants. I read they probably weren't viable so we got rid of them. Why does my turtle sit at the bottom of the pen and never come up for air. Your container should be securely covered with a lid and have air holes for breathing. It’s relatively expensive, but it’s natural looking and non-abrasive. Also, avoid overfeeding your turtle to prevent obesity and excessive waste matter. I let them run around my room, i made them a little bed after they would always try to dig under my hip or leg to go to bed and they have a small pool to play in. N … read more She can still be gravid if mating was unsuccessful. 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. Female sliders mature around four and one-half years old. Baby Red Ear slider turtle is available in various color morphs as well as the traditional and more common slider turtle. Red-eared sliders are opportunistic omnivores. They can also provide your slider with good hiding places, which is good for your slider’s mental health. So long as their diet is varied and they’re eating plenty of plant matter, they’ll have the nutrients they need to be healthy. Drying out the shell and skin also helps to prevent the growth of algae and shell rot. Just like chickens, female red-eared sliders will sometimes lay eggs even when they haven’t mated with a male. Learn how to create a happy, healthy home for your pet. 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