How to Take Care of Baby Map Turtles
Map turtles are freshwater basking turtles that are also called sawback turtles. The map-like design on their shells is how they got their name. Map turtles require plenty of space to swim and bask, but are easy to care for. They can live up to 20 years with the proper care.
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Things You'll Need
- 20-gallon tank
- Gravel
- Rocks
- Heating lamp
- Aquarium filter and plants
- Temporary fish tank
- Crayfish, snails, insects and worms
Instructions
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Prepare the aquarium for map turtles. Place gravel in the tank and make sure that the bottom is completely covered. Each baby turtle should have a 20-gallon tank to himself. Fill the tank up with six inches of water for hatchlings and increase the level of water to 30 inches of water as the turtle becomes an adult.
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Provide the map turtle with rocks and a heating lamp in the aquarium. Place several rocks for the map turtle to be able to sit upon and bask in the sunlight or near the heating lamp. Make sure that the rocks sit at least half-way up from the water. Put the heating lamp fixture above the rocks to give the map turtles warmth of up to 90 degrees. Keep the lamp on for 12 hours a day.
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Maintain a clean tank for the map turtle. The tank will need to be cleaned weekly by scrubbing the sides of the tank to remove any mildew. The water will need to be dumped and the map turtles will need to be placed into a temporary tank until the tank is completely cleaned. Move the gravel to check underneath for any hidden feces. Rinse the tank and refill with water.
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Feed the map turtle. Chop up the turtle's food which will include insects, snails, worms, and crayfish and place it either on the rocks where the map turtles bask or put the food in the water of the tank.
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Tips & Warnings
Wash your hands after you finish cleaning the aquarium.
References
- Photo Credit Turtles image by Shaelene Thompson from Fotolia.com
