How to Care for Map Turtles
Map turtles are North American natives and are found in clear water that moves quickly. They are found in northern and southern states. They get their name from the distinctive patterns on their shells that resemble maps. They also have a well-defined ridge that runs down the middle of their backs that gives them the alternate name of the sawback turtle. There are currently a dozen recognized species of map turtles. They make good pets and are fairly easy to take care of as long as you follow a few simple steps.
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Things You'll Need
- Glass tank
- Filter
- Air stone
- Driftwood
- Stones
- Variety of food
- Heat source
Instructions
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Set up a glass aquarium tank for the turtles. Use a minimum of a 20-gallon tank for two or three baby turtles. Install a filter of your choosing to the back of the tank. Add a small air stone to give some motion and oxygen to the water. Add basking spots such as driftwood and stones with an incline to get in and out of the water. Make sure there are some shallower areas in the tank by adding large pebbles to the bottom of the tank. Be prepared to increase your tank size as your turtles grow.
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Ensure a large heat variance in the tank from 65 to 90 degrees F. Use incandescent bulbs or ceramic heaters to achieve this.
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Provide 12 hours of UVB light daily to ensure healthy development of your turtle. Utilize a fluorescent bulb to provide UVB light or, during warm months, take your turtle outside for natural light.
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Provide plenty of food. Use floating aquatic turtle food. Also provide fresh and dried foods such as crayfish, insects, dried shrimp, mealworms, leafy greens and carrots. Feed hatchlings daily and adults every other day. Add multivitamin supplements to their food.
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Keep the water clean. Remove feces immediately. Change the water as necessary.
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Beware of aggressive behavior. Avoid overcrowding. Add additional basking spots, as needed, to curb aggression.
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Make sure that temperatures do not drop below 45 to 50 degrees F. If you are housing your turtles outside, bring them in during colder months, but keep them cool so that they can hibernate. When your turtle hibernates, it will situate itself on the bottom of the tank and move very little, if at all. Usually it will eat about as much as it would in a 2-day period during the 100 days a year it hiberates. There is nothing special you need to do. Once the temperature warms up, your turtle will become more active.
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Tips & Warnings
UVB light is also sometimes called full-spectrum lighting. Without either natural sunlight or UVB light, your map turtle may develop a fungal infection.
If you need to boost the oxygen content in the tank, add additional aquatic plants or use a larger filtration system.
When adding rocks and pebbles to the tank, be sure they are too large for your turtle to eat.
