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East
African Mud Turtle
(Pelusios subniger)
by Stuart Dodsworth
Distribution
This species of African Side necked Turtle is the most commonly
available in the pet trade. There are two subspecies recognised
at present and these are (Pelusios subniger subniger) and (Pelusios
subniger parietalis). In the wild it is found in shallow bottomed
marshes and ponds in Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Democratic
Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Zambia, North Botswana,
Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Gloriosa Island, Madagascar,
Seychelles, Sao Tome, Gambia and Cameroon. It has been introduced
into Mauritius.
Size
This species of turtle can have a straight carapace length, which
can reach around 8 inches.
Diet
This species of turtle is primarily carnivorous with the occasional
aquatic plants, therefore variety is essential a good diet can
include; earthworms (not blood worms), white bait, sprats, broad
leaf watercress, prawns in their shell, snails, raw rabbit, chicken,
turkey, crab sticks, cockles (and other shellfish), spiders (and
other invertebrates), dead mice and pinkies, kidney and liver.
A variety of salad plants and the occasional fruit help to get
more vitamins and minerals into their diet. It is advised to feed
turtles 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: - Turtles 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
turtles. 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 turtles are chicken layers and will often produce infertile
eggs even without a male being present. Therefore a nest site
at least thirty centimetres deep consisting of soil and sand mix
should be provided in order to prevent possible egg retention
problems.
· Housing - For two adult turtles a 120cm to 150cm (4-5
feet) tank would be sufficient. Indoor pools are also suitable
for turtles. For larger numbers of turtles 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. The more space this turtle
is provided with the more content it will become.
Temperature
The water temperature should be in the region of 25 - 27°C
(78-82°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). It
is also recommended to put some sphagnum moss in the water to
lower the pH as these turtles thrive best when the pH is between
6 and 6.5. The water should be at least 5 inches deep.
Longevity
This species of turtle has been known to live up till 50 years
in captivity. However, The average lifespan is around 25 to 30
years. Although if given the correct care from a hatchling some
turtles may outlive the 50 years.
NB-
if a captive bred turtle is bought then this turtle rarely becomes
ill and is extremely hardy.
Photograph
taken from http://www.turtlepuddle.org/exotics/pelusios.html A
Distribution map will be added as soon as one is located.
Recommended
Reading/Useful Contacts
Stuart
Dodsworth - stuartandlynette@dodsworth2005.wanadoo.co.uk
The International Herpetological Society - www.international-herp-society.co.uk
The British Herpetological Society - www.thebhs.org
Taxonomy Information - http://srs.embl-heidelberg.de:8000/srs5bin/cgi-bin/wgetz?-e+[REPTILIA-Species:'Pelusios_SP_subniger']
Tortoise Trust - www.tortoisetrust.org
BCG - British Chelonia Group - http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/
World Chelonia Trust - http://www.chelonia.org/
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/exotics/pelusios.html
http://www.unc.edu/~dtkirkpa/stuff/pel.html
http://www.pondturtle.com/lturtle.html#Pelusios - longevity information.
www.reptilekeeper.co.uk
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