RED EARED TERRAPIN by Stuart Dodsworth

Trachemys scripta elegans

Distribution
Terrapins range from Central to South America, through Mexico right to areas of Brazil. Colonies have also been noticed in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. Feral populations are appearing in many countries worldwide as a result of abandoned pets, including Bilbao, Borneo, Japan, Australia, South Africa and England to name a few. Although in England they have not bred in the wild yet.

Size
These creatures start off being the size of a ten pence coin, eventually reaching 20cm to 25cm (8 to 10 inches) at adulthood. The maximum size recorded for a female Red Eared Terrapin in the wild is currently 35.5cm (14.2 inches). It is best to point out that these reptiles do not grow to the size of their enclosure like some fish do they will carry on growing, so be prepared to house adults of the maximum size rather than small terrapins forever.

Diet
When choosing their food try to avoid fatty foods, especially large quantities of red meat as this may cause digestive problems later in life. Recommendations: - earthworms (not blood worms), white bait, sprats, broad leaf watercress, prawns in their shell, snails, raw rabbit, chicken and turkey, crab sticks, cockles, spiders, dead mice and pinkies, kidney and liver. Terrapins do eat more vegetation as they mature so offering a variety of salad plants and the occasional fruit helps to get more vitamins and minerals into their diet. It is advised to feed terrapins in a separate feeding tank in order to reduce the excrement and food left in their house.

Requirements
· Heat Source: - For the water, a thermostatically controlled water heater will be required. For the basking area, a guarded reflector (spot lamp) will be required. This basking lamp should be turned off at night.
· UV Light Source: - Terrapins require a Reptisun 5.0 light. This should be left on for 8 to 12 hours a day and replaced every 6 months unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer. It should be positioned no more than 30cm away from the terrapins basking area to have optimum effect and not be placed behind glass shelves in aquariums. In larger surface mounted ponds/greenhouse style enclosures the new UV power bulbs are an excellent source of UVB and heat.
· Filtration: - This is important to reduce foul smells and to keep the water clean. You would be well advised to buy either a large internal filter or an external filter to help cope with the water quality, an American keeper recently recommended the combined use of an under gravel filter and a normal canister filter. It is up to the keeper in the long term as to which filtration they find works best for them. But the Fluval/Magnum filters seem to be the best at the moment.
· Land areas: - Two land areas should be available to your terrapins. One area should be for basking and have a heat source above it. The other area should be away from the heat source, to allow the terrapin to regulate its body temperature. Underwater hides can be built under the land areas. It should be noted that female terrapins are chicken layers and will often produce infertile eggs even without a male being present. Therefore a nest site at least thirty centimeters deep consisting of soil and sand mix should be provided in order to prevent possible egg retention problems.
· Housing - Terrapins grow very fast and can outgrow a small fish tank in no time. It is often far cheaper to go for a larger tank in the first place. For two adult terrapins a 120cm to 150cm (4-5 feet) tank would be sufficient. Indoor pools are also suitable for terrapins. Outdoor pools can be used in the hot summer months but the terrapins should always be brought inside on chilly nights and during the colder months. For larger numbers of terrapins a converted greenhouse/shed with built in pond can be a useful alternative. Care should be taken with a pond of this size to ensure that a drain is fitted in the pond to save on cleaning time. The last option is one of the better options as it does allow natural behaviours to occur that would otherwise be inhibited.

Temperature
The water temperature should be in the region of 22 - 25°C (72 - 75°F) and should be maintained using a thermostatically controlled water heater. A basking area should be available with the temperature ranging from 28 - 31°C (82 - 86°F).

Longevity
If kept under the proper conditions Red Eared Terrapins can live for up to 40 years although their life spans in captivity are usually around 30 years.

Gender
Small hatchlings are very difficult to sex with accuracy. However, mature males are often smaller than the females and develop long claws on their front legs in comparison to that of a female. The tail of the male is also a lot wider and longer than that of the female.

Salmonella
Many reptiles carry the naturally forming bacteria Salmonella. It must be stated that salmonella bacteria can only be contracted by ingestion (via the mouth). Good hygiene is therefore very important when keeping any animal.

NB - Map taken from http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.asp?SpeciesID=1261
Photograph taken by Stuart Dodsworth.