Keeping The Turtle As A Pet

Posted On 05 Oct 2021

Lifespan: 30 years

Size: Can reach 30 cm

The red-eared Slider is a very common animal sold in pet shops. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Parents buy to please their children and some others buy to release them into the wild as a gesture for good fortune. They can grow to 30 cm (12 inches) and can live over 30 years. It is one of the most commonly disposed pets in Singapore.

With that in mind, think before you bring one home. A Pet is for life. Are you prepared to commit your time and your family’s continued affection and interest for 30 years?

Housing: The plastic container sold together with the terrapin in most pet shops is totally inadequate. The red-eared slider needs plenty of water and it must come out to bask in the sun, so protruding logs, stones are a must in the set up; if kept indoors a heat lamp to act as sunlight is necessary. A two feet aquarium is the minimum size to house a few of them. They are usually sold when they are around 7 cm. The aquarium must have a good filtration system because the terrapin cannot produce saliva and eats only in water. Keeping it in an outdoor pond is better than an indoor aquarium.

Food: Being omnivorous, their diet consists of fish, shrimps, worms, and vegetations. They also eat commercially prepared terrapin pellets.

Care: Water quality must be good. A proper filter is a must. Poor water quality leads to eye infection, ear cysts and respiratory ailments. Wrong diet leads to shell abnormalities, stunted growth and lethargy. Males have longer front claws and tails and a concave ventral shell. Females can reach 30 cm and males 23 cm. They are named red-eared slider because of a red stripe which runs down each side of the head and their signature sliding dash to safety when alarmed. They are native to the US.

The Malayan Box Turtle

The Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis) is aquatic, meaning it lives in water. It can grow to about 8 inches (20 cm) and can live up to 35 years. The Malayan Box Turtle also called the South East Asia box turtle is found in many Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and at one time even Singapore.

It is sought after as food, folk medicine and kept as pets. Their shell colours range from black brown to olive with three yellow stripes on the side of their heads.

Housing: A large aquarium or a plastic aquarium tub is ideal. The height of the water should not be deeper than the length of its shell. Although they live in water, they are poor swimmers. This is why your water depth should be low enough for them to stand and breathe air. Like an aquarium set up, filtration is absolutely necessary. Internal filters or outside canister filters should be used. Even if the water depth is just 5 cm, there are special filters that can be used including the Eheim mini Flat, an internal filter that needs only a water depth of 4 cm to operate.

Lighting: A dry basking or resting area must be provided which can be created from stones or you can buy a ready made one from the pet shops. They are called Reptile land (from Dymax) or Turtle Bank (from Exo-Terra). If you are keeping the turtles in-doors, a basking spot of about 30-32 degrees C should be provided. Clip-on lamps are available from pet shops. A full spectrum flourescent light is also needed to provide the necessary UVB source for vitamin D3 synthesis needed in calcium metabolism.

Environment: Since they come from the tropics, the required water temperature is between 25 and 28 degrees C with humidity between 75 and 90 per cent, same as the climate in Singapore.

Diet: The Malayan Box Turtle is omnivorous meaning it can eat meat, fruits and vegetables – from lettuce to live fishes. Commercial turtle pellets are also well accepted. Food like lettuce, carrots or apples should be peppered with calcium powder with vitamin D3 as the supplement. Feeding can be done once in two days or lightly daily. They can also eat crickets and earthworms.

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