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The Red Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) may be one of the most adaptable reptiles on Earth. Red Eared Sliders can survive just about anywhere, from stagnant ponds to vast lakes on almost every continent. The main reason Red Eared Sliders are found in such vast numbers in a variety of places is the pet trade. They are the stereotypical pet-store turtle, sold on street corners and in mall kiosks everywhere, bred by the thousands on turtle farms. Yes, they look cute when they are an inch long hatchling. What many people who buy them do not know is that these turtles can grow quite large, up to a foot or larger, and will eventually require a very large place to live. People who unsuspectedly buy them and find that they do grow large will go to the nearest body of water and release them into the "wild", where they think they will be happy. This is a misconception, as most captive animals will not survive very long in the wild, as they do not know how to find food, and they could also transmit diseases to native species. The problem with Red Eared Sliders is that they are quite good at living in non-native habitats, and they end up thriving in them. This in turn negatively impacts the native turtle species, as they must compete with the foreign invaders for resources or they must battle their foreign diseases and parasites. Many Red Eared Sliders are released each year, contributing to the massive overpopulation of wild Red Ears, and even more die as a result of improper living conditions in captivity. This is the reason why I have prepared this care sheet so you can give your turtle a happy, long life or at least give him to someone who can. If you have found this caresheet, hopefully you haven't already bought a turtle, but if you have, you are heading in the right direction. If you have not already bought a turtle, I suggest you find a re-homing organization so that you can give a turtle without a home a new lease on life. Remember, in order to become an informed owner you must read as many different care sheets as possible. I also recommend becoming part of a community forum so you can seek out personal advice and get help if you have an emergency. I have links to a few different ones at the bottom of this page. |
Description:
Red Eared Sliders are beautiful turtles. Red Ear hatchlings are usually bright green with yellow stripes along their head and shell. They also have a red patch behind their eye. As they mature, they become less bright and are usually a dark green with varying shades of yellow striping on their head, tail, and feet. Their carapace (top part of the shell) is dark and their plastron (lower part of the shell) is yellow with dark spots on either side. The red patch right behind their eye is usually more vivid when they are mature. This is how they get their name, as this red patch is located in the area where their ear is. Males have long nails when mature and females usually have short nails. Females can get quite larger than males, also. For more information on sexing, refer to the links at the bottom of this page, as many have visual guides on how to tell the sex of your turtle.
Housing:
Red Eared Sliders are not inexpensively housed when housed properly. The general rule is to have 10 gallons for every inch of turtle. I myself have kept larger turtles in smaller tanks for temporary situations and they have been fine as long as it is a TEMPORARY setup. My turtles are in a 100 gallon tank and they are thriving although this is smaller than the rule suggests. Use your better judgment and go larger if unsure. If the turtle can't swim around, up and down, comfortably, the tank is NOT OK. For Red Ears, bigger is better. As long as you make sure the turtle can find it's food, all is good. This brings me to my next point. Red Ears love to swim, and will not drown easily (unless they are hatchlings in which case you should have a shallower situation. For more info on hatchling setups and care refer to the links at the bottom of the page). You can use glass aquariums, plastic tubs, stock tanks, secure man-made ponds, specially made enclosures, etc. to house Red Eared Sliders. I will say this now and tell you that turtle will not live in a turtle lagoon. These are dubbed "Death-bowls" by the turtle-loving community, and for good reason.
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"Death Bowls"
Pictured to the left is a "Death Bowl". Labeled in stores worldwide as Turtle Lagoons or Turtle Bowls, this is the last thing you should keep a turtle in long-term. Yes, they look all cute with their colored gravel and the little palm tree and the little teeny tiny turtles. The vendor usually claims that the turtles never get bigger. How wrong this is. These lagoons have no room for the turtle to swim around and enjoy themselves and, being plastic, they cannot be used with important basking lights. What's worse is they don't have any room for a filter and, even cleaned out every day, they would still be dirty. Sometimes vendors will even try to say two turtles can fit in the bowl just to make money. Turtles will suffer and perish if this is their permanent home. Turtles are meant to live in vast bodies of water where they can bask all day and swim all around. No turtle lives on s beach with a palm tree. The bottom line is NEVER house ANY turtle in a Death Bowl. |
I suggest you invest in a nice, large canister filter. I currently use a Filstar Xp3, rated for 175 gallons, on my 100 gallon and the tank is absolutely clean. Canister filters have an external canister that water is pumped through and then pumped out. Intake and output tubes are connected to the tank. The canister the water runs through includes mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration, ensuring a very clean tank as long as the filter is cleaned periodically. Water changes should be done regularly, but not more than 25-50% of the tank's water, as you do not want to destroy too much of the tank's beneficial bacteria. Also make sure you have adequate surface agitation so as to prevent the water from becoming stagnant.
You just got this new tank. You want to dress it up, right? First take into consideration what you want out of the tank. If you want simple cleaning and maintenance overall, go for a bare-bottomed tank with a few rocks and ornaments to break up the monotony. If you want a display tank, there are many things you can do, from the simple to the extravagant. Whatever you do, don't use teeny tiny gravel. Gravel should be too big for your turtle to ingest or they can die from impaction, a condition in which they get a blockage in their system, which can be costly to treat. Use larger river rocks, as these are the most safe. You can also dress up your tank with ornaments like larger rocks and driftwood. Red Ears love to put their feet on objects near the surface and sit there with their heads above the water. If you want plants, use fake ones, not real ones, as even artificial plants may be pushed around the tank. Live plants will most likely be eaten. I use no plants at all in my tanks as it is just a pain.
Last but certainly not least is a basking area. A basking area is a place of dry land in your tank that has special lights above it that help your turtle carry out bodily processes. The requirements of your basking area will be further discussed in the "Lighting & Heating" Section.
Feeding:
Red Eared Sliders are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plant matter and animal matter. A Red Eared Slider's diet should consist mainly of plant matter, though. You can feed them vegetables you get from a super-market. I also give them a fortified pellet diet to supplement the vegetables. I personally give pellets along with any 2 or 3 of the following: escarole, collard greens, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, turnip greens, tropical hibiscus flowers and leaves, hosta leaves, carrots, pumpkin, squash, as well as other various greens. A turtles diet also needs to have some animal matter, like live fish, crickets, snails, ghost shrimp, crayfish, small pinkies, etc, also. I can't explain the diet of Red Eared Sliders very well in detail, as it would require another whole care sheet. The link below, however, is quite detailed in it's description of the diet, and I suggest you read it.
Feeding Information
Now remember, all turtles are different, just like people, and you may have to use this as a guideline and tailor it to your turtle's specific likes and dislikes. Just remember to keep the core components of it intact so your turtle can get all the nutrients it needs to survive.
Lighting & Heating:
Heating and Lighting is an important aspect in almost all reptile's care. Red Eared Sliders and most other aquatic turtles, like I explained earlier in this care sheet, need to have access to a basking area. The basking area is a moderately sized piece of dry land in the tank that is heated and given special lighting. Your Red Ears will haul out on to this "dock" and bask in the special temperatures and UVB rays that mimic the sun. This helps the Red Eared Slider process calcium by manufacturing its own Vitamin D and it aids in other digestive and growth processes.
A turtle's basking area is very important, and cannot be overlooked. How they are made, though, varies greatly. Explained below are some of the options you have in constructing a basking area for your Red Ear.
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Store-bought Basking Docks
There are many kinds, but the most popular are the Zoomed Turtle Dock and Turtle Log. |
These are quite easy to set up and use, and they look quite attractive in a tank. Pretty much the only thing you need to do is add the lights. |
They rarely can support or fit larger turtles. If you have multiple turtle that like to bask at the same time, they usually don't comfortably fit both of them. Some people have had the weights on the bottom fall off and the suction cups stop working. They are hard to use if you aren't using a tank. |
"Beach" Area
In this setup, substrate is pushed to one side to create a mound or "beach" of substrate the turtle can haul out on. |
These are quite simple, and a ramp really isn't needed. A rock can be placed on top for belly heat. Lights can be easily placed above. |
These have a very great danger of toppling over, and the turtle usually can't climb up to the top without dislodged a lot of the substrate. They also take up a lot of room that could be used as swimming room. |
Divider Setup
In this setup a divider is placed a short way out from the side of the tank and the smaller side is filled with substrate like sand or large pebbles that the turtle hauls out on. |
These are useful if you have a female turtle because they can be filled with sand and she can easily lay her eggs in it. You can also put a rock on top to give belly heat, and lights can be easily placed above. |
These take up a lot of swimming space and the turtle will end up tracking a lot of the substrate back into the water area of the tank. |
Shelf
A piece of glass of plastic is glued 3/4 or so the way up the side of the tank on one side and rocks are secured on to it. |
This method allows for a lot more swimming space because the turtle can swim under it. Lights can be easily placed above it. Tile or stones can be glued on it for belly heat. |
This method may not let you maximize the amount of water you can put in your tank, and it may be hard to make a ramp for it. They are harder to make if you don't use a tank. They can also be hard to construct. |
Cork Bark Shelf
A piece of almost flat cork bark (or similar material) is roughly cut to the dimensions of the side of the tank and wedged in between the glass to make a "shelf". |
This method looks quite natural. They usually don't require a ramp if the water level is high enough because the turtles can grab on to the bark and pull itself up. Some pieces may still need a ramp. Lights can be placed above it easily. The cork lasts quite long, too. They also allow for a lot of swimming space. |
The bark doesn't provide belly heat, although this isn't always necessary. If you don't use a tank they may have to be anchored instead of wedged, which may not be as effective. |
"Platform"
A platform with 4 legs is sonstructed. It can be made as tall or short and as wide or small as needed. |
This method is great if you are using a tub or pond rather than a tank. The platform can have rock placed on top for belly heat. This also allows for a lot of swimming space. |
It may be hard to place the lights above the basking area if the enclosure is inside. They tend to not work well in tanks. They can be difficult to construct to last long. |
Above-Tank Basking Area
A completely or almost completely enclosed box is made to sit on top of the inner lip of the aquarium. A ramp goes down into the tank to allow access. |
This method allows for absolute maximum swimming space. Lights can be easily placed. They can be decorated quite nicely, and have rocks or tile glued on for belly heat. You can view your turtle quite nicely, also. This is probably the best basking area type. |
You have to cover the rest of the tank because it will probably be filled to the top and you don't want your turtle to escape. They can be hard to construct and making a ramp can be difficult. |
If you know of another type I haven't mentioned, I missed something about on of the types, or you want to know more about how to make one of them, E-mail me at the Address listed in the Contact Me link on the front page.
Whatever method you use, all basking areas need to provide the same thing to your turtle.
For one, a basking area needs a ramp leading up to the basking area from the water so the turtle can access it. The ramp should be made or covered in something the turtle can grip, as turtles can not stick to slick surfaces. Some people choose to use store-bought zoo-med turtle docks for ramps. They can also be made from grass mats, bamboo mats, and other things. As long as the dock is accessible, all is good.
The basking area needs to be covered with something if it is made out of a transparent or smooth material, such as plexiglass and other plastics. Some people choose to not do this, but I feel the turtles would like to feel something other than smooth plastic under their feet. When I made my clear acrylic basking platform, I loosely glued slate pieces onto it. Some people glue gravel or river stones on them. Some even put slate tiles on them and the list goes on. Having rock covering the platform helps because it is a good conductor oh heat and will give your turtles beneficial belly heat. In the end, the only limitations are your imagination and as long as the turtle is comfortable, do what you please.
Probably the most important aspect of the basking area is the lighting and heating of it. Basking areas for Red Eared Sliders should be kept at 82-85 degrees Fahrenheit. A normal household bulb will usually emit the same amount of heat as a similar wattage bulb found in a pet store marketed as a "heat bulb", so there is no need to pay extra for the "heat bulbs". I use either a 75 watt bulb or a 100 watt bulb for my turtles. Buy a digital thermometer or a temperature gun to monitor temperatures, as gauge and stick-on thermometers don't work well at all. In combination with the heat bulb, you need a light that produces UVB and UVA rays. You can either buy the tube kind or a compact fluroescent kind that would fit in a normal incandescent bulb fixture. These can be found at most large pet stores or online. Make sure this bulb is located around 6-8 inches from the basking area to maximize it's effectiveness and make sure nothing is blocking it, as even glass or mesh will filter out part of the UV rays. These bulbs need to be replaced around every 6-8 months, even if they don't burn out, because they usually are weakened by this time. I find the best way to keep track of the age the bulb is to write the date right on the bulb itself. Another option you could take is to buy a mercury vapor bulb that produces UV and heat and stays effective for a longer period of time. The only problem is that they are a lot more expensive and need to be located farther away from the basking area as not to harm your turtle. I use the first way I mentioned, because I don't want to deal with the hassle of mercury vapor bulbs. All this is very important to your turtle, and don't overlook it.
Another aspect of RES Heating & Lighting is heating the water. The water should be kept at 72-75 degrees Fahrenheit. This should be achieved by aquarium fish heaters, preferably fully submersible ones. You can put a heater guard on the protect from thermal burns, but many owners don't. Heating isn't always needed unless you are in an especially cold area. Heating the water may also keep your turtles active for a longer period of the year, but I don't use one and the turtles are active for pretty much the whole year.
The final aspect of RES heating and lighting is the day/night cycles. You should put all your lights on a timer so that the turtle have a day/night cycle. This should be adjusted according to the season. In winter, you should have 14 hours without the lights on, and in summer 14 hours with the lights on. This is so your turtles can sleep and it dictates many of their natural processes.
Sick Turtles:
As I have never really had a sick turtle, I will not talk about this here. This is a link to a very good Sick Turtle Page:
Sick Turtle Summary
You also may find information in some of the links at the bottom of this page pertaining to Red Eared Slider sicknesses.
Sexing, Hibernation, etc.:
If you want to sex your RES, know how to successfully hibernate your RES, or how to breed (which I highly advise against) your RES, look in this section. If you have any questions not answered in the care sheet, go to the links at the bottom of my page. The page listed first should answer most of your questions. If not, look through the others, or join the Turtle Times community forum (I suggest this regardless) and ask questions to the knowledgeable people there. It is truly a very fun place.
Links: