| general
|
| description |
They are famous for having
very long necks (by U.S.A. standards; they don't reach
true "snake neck" proportions. They do carry
the nickname "American snake neck". The carapace
is distinctive for the reticulate pattern. |
| distribution |
 United States
code : US |
| adult
size |
Length: 4-6
inch carapace length; record 10 inches |
| species |
Florida Chicken Turtle - Deirochelys reticularia chrysea
Eastern Chicken Turtle - Deirochelys reticularia reticularia
Western Chicken Turtle - Deirochelys reticularia miaria
|
| housing |
| natural
habitats |
Semi-aquatic;
moving waters, such as rivers and large streams |
| aquarium |
A 75 gallon
aquarium for 1 to 2 adult chicken turtles. The enclosure
should have adequate water depth (at least 2/3' rds full,
but beware escape by climbing out) & a large basking
platform that dries completely. If you are to breed them,
a larger enclosure with a nesting site is needed. |
| substrate |
Soil, mud, gravel, coarse
sand, smooth rocks |
| activity
period |
Daytime (diurnal);
12 - 14 hours each day with direct natural sunlight or
UV lamp (e.g. ReptiSun 5.0,
UV Heat Bulb) |
| temperature |
28 - 32 ¢XC -- basking
spot (e.g. Basking
Spot Lamp)
24 - 27 ¢XC -- cooler area (e.g. Daylight
Blue Bulb)
23 - 25 ¢XC -- at night (e.g. Nightlight
Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp, Ceramic
Heat Emitter) |
| hiding
place |
Advisable.
Possibllites include caves (e.g. Habbe
Hut), etc |
| diet |
| wild
diet |
Mainly Carnivorous;
fish, crayfish, worms, amphibians larvae, aquatic plants |
| primary
food (75%) |
A good brand commercial
turtle food (e.g. Aquatic
Turtle Food), and a variety of plants like watecress,
lettuce and Helodea |
| occasional
food (25%) |
Whole prey items,prekilled
small whole fish, live earthworms, snails, aquatic plants |
| reproduction |
| reproduction |
Oviparous ; lay multiple
clutches of eggs (6-10/clutch) which hatch in 75-85 days
depends on incubation temperature, & recommends 82oF
& 75-85% relative humidity for a mixed male/female
crop |
