A Non-Expert Takes On Water Turtles

The final frontier for me as a turtle keeper was Aquatic Turtles. To me, the whole concept of aquatics was daunting: So much more equipment, so much more work than tortoises. But, as it turns out, they are so much more interactive and fun, too, so it balances out.

Reeves Turtles (Chynemys reevesii)

I obtained these turtles as tiny little hatchlings back in 2006. Reeves turtles at adulthood are approximately the same size as a box turtle, making them a good species to keep indoors.

 

Western Painted Turtle Hatchlings (Chrysemys picta bellii)

An aquaintance of mine has a large private pond on his land, with several adult Western Painted Turtles in residence. These little ones were in a nest that he accidentally unearthed while trenching in February 2008. Since it was too cold to just leave them there, he called me.

Above and below: What they looked like upon arrival at my office

I fostered these guys for two years, and when they reached about three inches in shell length, they went back into their pond, assured of no longer being predator chow. We had a great time together, and I'm proud that I was able to raise them and then release them successfully back to normal turtley lives.

 

How to Set Up a Tank for Aquatic Turtles

Setting up a tank for aquatic turtles is cheap if you do it wrong; doing it right isn't cheap but it makes things much easier (and your turtles a lot healthier) in the long run. Click HERE to view an article describing how to set up a turtle tank for your aquatic turtle..