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T. s. elegans are most commonly known as the Red-eared Slider or as the Red-eared Terrapin. They have a large natural range, and can be found from the south-central to the south-eastern United States. Red-eared sliders occupy diverse habitats from shallow mud holes of a few hundred gallons to rather barren-looking farm ponds where they are usually seen basking on the edge, to streams, lakes and large rivers. Sliders prefer quiet waters with soft bottoms, lots of aquatic vegetation and plenty of good basking sites.
Here you can see the red patches that give the Red-eared Slider it’s name
The Red-eared slider is by far the most popular choice for a pet of this kind and they are popular around the world. Hoever, unfortunatlely many people seem to be misinformed and believe that these creatures do not grow much larger than they are when they are hatchlings. This surprising growth results in a large amount of owners abandoning their pets in local ponds and streams where they subsequently die.
Red-eared Sliders are a good beginner turtle for people with large aquariums or outdoor garden ponds. They are hardy and tolerant to a range of temperatures, mineral content and pH levels. They are usually comfortable around people and will readily beg for food. They may out-compete other species that they share an enclosure with and will easily dominate painted turtles. Males are prone to harass females so separation may be necessary at certain times. As with any turtle species, an individual may be naturally aggressive or a pair may prove to be incompatible for no apparent reason.
There are three other subspecies of slider’s, the Yellow-bellied Slider, the Cumberland Slider and the Big Bend Slider.
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Description
The Red-eared Slider is a medium-to-large sized turtle capable of reaching lengths of 15-23 cm (7-9 inches) in males 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) in females. Their general appearance is what most enthusiasts associate with a typical basking turtle. They have an oval body shape (circular in hatchlings), that is mildly domed on top with a flat bottom. They have a blunt head with peripherally-placed eyes and a stubby snout, their feet are webbed with clawed toes and they have small tails.
The shell has an internal bony foundation on which is overlaid keratin plates called scutes. The shell includes a moderately domed carapace and a hingeless plastron. The turtle can withdraw into the shell but the shell cannot close completely, and therefore Red-eared Sliders are somewhat vulnerable to predators while on land. In hatchlings the carapace and skin begin as a bright green colour, the lateral carapace scute pattern is similar to a green fingerprint with lined whorls and the skin is striped. Behind the eyes are the characteristic patches from which this animal takes its name. The plastron is a bland yellow with black spots or smudges.
As Red-eared Slider’s mature they generally develop a darker, duller carapace and overall coloration with more undefined patterns. A small number of specimens progress to a condition called melanism where excess dark pigment turns the turtle abnormally dark whereas some adults retain juvenile coloration but most are duller coloured.
Habitat
Enclosure
A basic home for juvenile Red-eared Slider’s
These turtles can be kept in outside enclosures and ponds if the area you live in offers the same environmental conditions that a Red-eared slider would encounter within it’s natural habitat. If not then an artificial set up that best recreates those conditions will be necessary.
It is recommended that for an adult male slider you provide an aquarium of at least 80 gallons, whereas adult females require larger accomodation of a minimum 120 gallons. For each additional slider you should increase the volume of the enclosure by 50%.
Red-eared Sliders love to bask, so a basking platform with a heat lamp to maintain daytime temperatures at between 29-32°C (85-90°F) is needed. The platform should be as dry as possible to help ensure that your turtles plastron remains healthy.
Water Depth
Red-eared Sliders are excellent swimmers and providing enough water for them to explore and for them too exercise properly is vital. In their natural habitat, hatchlings prefer to find a warmer, well-vegetated, invertebrate-rich shallow water habitat, whereas adults favour deeper water. For hatchlings, it is recommended that you provide relatively shallow water of about 10-15 cm (4 to 6 inches), and progressively increase the water level as their strength increases. Plenty of structures to rest on should be fitted for them in case they tire of swimming. Older juveniles and adults can be housed in much deeper water as long as a submerged rest area is provided. They require a crawl out platform, which should be large enough to offer both a warmer end nearer the heat lamp aswell as a cooler end for resting without absorbing too much heat.
Temperature
Air temperatures should be kept at between 24-29°C (75-85°F). Water temperature should be maintained at 22-24.5°C (72-76°F) for adults and 24-26°C (78-80°F) for hatchlings and young juveniles, this can be achieved with the use of a properly gaurded submersible heater. Always unplug the heater before lowering the water level; they get dangerously hot very fast in air.
As previously mentioned Red-eared sliders love to bask and should be provided with a dry spot where a heating lamp creates a temperature of between 29-32°C (85-90°F).
The temperature conditions within the enclosure should be monitored at all times with the use of multiple thermometers. Place one at each temperature zone, so one at substrate level, one at any basking spot and one at a higher level amongst any obstacles or platforms you have provided.
Red-eared Slider’s love to swim
Substrate
Aquatic substrates are optional, ranging from a clear bottom which is obviously easier to maintain but somewhat boring to look at, to sand, river rock or any size gravel. There are reports of rare cases of intestinal obstruction or prolapse resulting from ingesting gravel, so some enthusiasts prefer to use River Rock too large to swallow. We recommend you provide submerged driftwood or other means for the turtle to rest near the surface, especially juveniles who may tire readily.
Lighting
It is often debated as to whether leaving the tank lights on 24/7 is problematic when compared to turning them off at night. Some other animals have internal circadian rhythms influenced by the length of day, and as they would experience day and night in their natural habitat it is recommended that you use a timer for a consistent day/night cycle with the lights on for approximately 12 hours a day.
If you keep your turtle indoors and do not provide specific UV-B lighting then you should be sure to provide adequate dietary Vitamin D3. This requires either using a commercial pellet food that includes it, or a powdered supplement like Rep-Cal for feeder insects. Beware using large amounts of food containing Retinol, a form of Vitamin A that can interfere with Vitamin D3 absorption in the body. UV-B doesn’t penetrate glass well so sunlight coming through a window will not be enough.
Feeding
Red-eared sliders are mainly carnivorous as juveniles, gradually becoming more herbivorous as they mature. The young eat water insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and tadpoles, then turn to a plant diet as they reach adulthood. The most important dietary requirements are vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus, which are necessary in sufficient quantity and in the correct proportions to form the bones and shell of a growing turtle, without which the shell would become soft and deformed.
Their diet is somewhat varied, so they can be fed worms, snails, water plants, fresh vegetables, and small pieces of raw meat. Raw meat should only be fed as a treat, since it is high in fat and the grease will soil the tank quickly. Commercial prepared dry turtle food is acceptable as long as it is used in a well-balanced diet.
A recently hatched Red-eared Slider
For the first 6 months of the sliders life, you can feed them commercial pellets and/or other ‘meaty’ foods such as earthworms, crickets or fish once daily, just enough to satisfy their appetite without overfeeding the turtle. After 6 months, switch to every other day feeding. Romaine lettuce and other leafy greens can be provided daily for grazing. Progressively adjust their diet content and schedule accounting for growth, activity level and appetite.
Overfeeding high-protein foods causes rapid growth, shell deformities (pyramiding) and is believed to harm their livers and kidneys. If the carapace scutes develop a prominent concentric ring pattern, making the carapace bumpy then dramatically reduce the protein in the diet or your turtle will have a permanently pyramided shell. While growth rate varies amongst different hatchlings, at 1 year of age we want to see a shell size of 5-9cm (2-3.5 inches). For a small hatchling, 1 or at most 2 regular ReptoMin pellets per day are sufficient.
Maintenance
Aquatic turtles excrete nitrogen-containing wastes including ammonia and so a powerful filter is needed to convert ammonia and nitrite to nitrate (this process is called biofiltration). The impact of ammonia and nitrite on turtles have not yet been determined but they are known to kill fish so it is recommended that you use a filter rated for at least double the enclosure size to ensure rapid processing.
Nitrates and other dissolved wastes are kept dilute via water changes, and there are several methods to do this. A 25% water change weekly in a sparsely populated tank may be okay. A large (50 – 90%) water change every 2 to 3 weeks using a Python system to gravel vacuum, remove old water and replace with new is easier – the sudden shift in water temperature and pH shouldn’t hurt the turtle but may kill delicate fish.