? on turtles

wwg

AC Members
Jan 22, 2008
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Parma,Italy
I've got some turtles, which have mainly been fed on pellets in the winter but during spring and summer I give them worms and grasshoppers.I'm worried they might have a bit of a soft shell.Do you reckon that they will recover if I start feeding them more often with pond snails ,frozen prawns,earthworms and grasshoppers.Does anyone have any tips on how to feed cuttlefish bones and veggies?They are trachemys
 
sliders, all of them? How many are there?

aside from that, personally, I think you should add a light if you dont already have one. When you put them out in the spring or in a few weeks, they should harden up as well.
 
If they're outside then you don't need a light, since they get UVB from the sun. But indoor turtles, at least emydids such as Trachemys, must have UVB for proper shell and bone growth. If your book says otherwise, you probably should get a different book.

Check out the turtle forums at http://forums.kingsnake.com, I'm sure you can find answers to all your questions in their archives.

What size pond will it be? If they're outside all year, they'll need mud at the bottom to burrow into during the winter. If it's a fair-sized pond, you can stock it with fathead minnows, comets, or other fish, and various plants, so the turtles will have a ready food source year round.
 
Enough for them to completely bury themselves; I'd guess 6" (15 cm) should be enough. What kind of climate do you have? If you're in an area with cold winters, your pond will need to be much deeper.
 
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