| general
|
| description |
Snapping turtles are one
of the most popular kinds of pet turtles. They originally
come from the fanland of North America and they have four
subspecies. |
| subspecies |
c . s . serpentina - Northern common snapping turtle
c . s . rossignoni - Mexican snapping turtle
c . s . osceola - Florida snapping turtle
c . s . acutirostris - Equadorian snapping turtle
|
| distribution |
Southern Canada and all of the US, through Mexico, Central
America and into South America as far south as Ecuador |
| adult
size |
approx. 12 to 14 inches
|
| handling |
By all means Snapping
turtles should be handled with utmost care. Usually shy,
they become aggressive when approached and attempted to
be handled. Biting, they can reach far back, as far as
about half of the carapace all the way back across it. |
| how
to handle ? |
Hatchlings - basically any way you want. Remember though
- while most of them are pretty tame at that stage,
some show signs of aggression even when this young.
Handle them with caution.
Middle size Snapping turtle is much easier to manipulate
using all of your fingers, in the same manner and trying
to keep its tail between the middle and third finger.
Large Snappng turtle should be handled very careful.
The manner would be similar, except for grabbing the
turtle with both hands with the tail between. We don't
recommend handling Snapping turtles by its tail. Using
this methods leads to some serious injuries of the turtles
vertebra. And on the other hand, while trying to escape,
there is always the possibility of having them turn
around and have a bit !
|
| housing |
| aquarium |
To keep young or baby
Snapping turtles for the first to second years, you need
to house them in 18 inches / 20 gallon tank. When they
grow larger, they will need more spaces. A 3 feet / 40
gallon tank will suitable for them for the following five
to eight years. Ideally, a 5 feet / 70 gallon tank would
make a fit home for a full growth adult Snapping turtle. |
| hiding
places |
The Snapping turtles are
very strong animals. They might stay calm for a long period
of time, but once they move, they may pushing and rearranging
the surrounding just to get to the chosen spot and make
it fit to their needs the best way. Therefore they need
hiding places in order to feel comfortable. In this case,
the Sand-Blasted Grapevine
or habbe Hut
could be mounted to the tank, with a rope, bolt or silicone. |
| activity
period |
Nighttime (nocturnal);
give heat and help monitoring by infrared lamps (e.g.
Nightlight Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp) where the light is invisible for it but
humans |
| temperature |
30 - 32 ¢XC -- basking spot (e.g. Basking
Spot Lamp)
23 - 27 ¢XC -- cooler area (e.g. Daylight
Blue Bulb)
18 - 23 ¢XC -- at night (e.g. Nightlight
Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp, Ceramic
Heat Emitter)
The water in the tank should be kept at 25 to 28 ¢XC
all year round. They will not eat in too cold water
and will not hibernate in environment not suitable for
hibernation. They will eventually weaken and die. It
should be left up to the Mother Nature and its wild
turtles. The Snapping turtle kept as pets will not harmed
by keeping them active all year round.
|
| diet |
|
wild diet |
Carnivorous (meat-eating);
Fish, crayfish, aquatic isopods and insects |
| captive
food |
Fish (e.g. minnows, goldfish),
crayfish, shrimps, Aquatic
Turtle Food |
| how
often to feed ? |
The hatchlings should
be fed on an everyday basis, as much as they want to eat.
They need constant nutrition to support their intense
shell and other body parts growth. Mature Snapping turtles
need to fed only once in two to three days, and later
in life once a week is sufficient. |
| reproduction |
| reproduction |
Oviparous ; the average clutch numbers about 25 eggs,
but as many as 80 eggs are possible. Hatching usuallytakes
place after 80 to 90 days.
Almost 100 % females in clutches incubated at 30 ¢XC
while almost 100 % males at 24 to 26 ¢XC
|
