Newest turtles out of quarantine:

[Marshall]

Heckle, Jeckle, Atlas (males) & Shelly (female) have all been moved out of quarantine and into regular 60 & 70 gallon terrariums. Tank one has a red eared slider & map turtle and tank two has two red eared sliders. I gave all four of the turtles dried shrimp, meal worms and romaine lettuce for supper with mango & dried cranberries for dessert and it seems to have filled them up because they all went right to the basking docks after eating except for Atlas who decided to take part of his mango and stash it in his cave for later but he finally came back out to bask grin emoticon Atlas is the small (4") Mississippi Map turtle and he is pretty clever because he learnt that his tank mate is too big (8") to get inside one of the caves and he only uses that one to hide food in because the larger cave is where he sleeps and is also his hideout if something scares him and he needs to make a quick retreat.

 

[Nepen]

Which one is Atlas? Can Mississippi Map turtle winter outside?

 

[Marshall]

Which one is Atlas? Can Mississippi Map turtle winter outside?

Atlas is the small turtle (only 4") with the "ridge/spikes" on his shell (picture below) and yes they can theoretically spend the winter outdoors but they are even more susceptible to failing to brumate and freezing to death than the red eared sliders are. I keep the map turtles in the indoor terrariums year round because none of them are wild bred therefor indoor housing is normal and not stressful on them. Atlas is a turtle I rescued but I also have a full grown male (5.5") map turtle named Triton that I have had from the time he was a hatchling. He was a little bigger than a nickel when he was born and lived in a 10 gallon tank. Now he has his own 60 gallon tank that Atlas will be moving into with him as soon as I get the tank ready for a second resident. Map turtles like to have water that is much deeper than other aquatics and also like to have lots of plants hideouts and terrain to explore so I always try and house maps in their own tank. The sliders like the deep water okay but they don't care for all the plants etc, and will go helter skelter on it and tear it all up in a matter of hours or days lol

 

[Nepen]

He is beautiful and love the ridge! Is there a native hardy water turtle?

 

[sissy]

He's aerodynamic .Like an air stream camper

 

[Marshall]

He is beautiful and love the ridge! Is there a native hardy water turtle?

Musk turtles are very easy to care for and a hardy too. They are also smaller than some others because they will only get about 6 to 7 inches full grown. I had one a few years ago and he never got sick the entire three years I had him and as far as I know he is still alive and well in Spartanburg where the lady who adopted him lives. Also painted turtles are very hardy and easy to care for. They are one I always recommend for a good beginner turtle and are one the most beautiful species in my opinion.

 

[Nepen]

Musk turtles are very easy to care for and a hardy too. They are also smaller than some others because they will only get about 6 to 7 inches full grown. I had one a few years ago and he never got sick the entire three years I had him and as far as I know he is still alive and well in Spartanburg where the lady who adopted him lives. Also painted turtles are very hardy and easy to care for. They are one I always recommend for a good beginner turtle and are one the most beautiful species in my opinion.

still, i'm not putting a fence around my pond for that beauty, not yet anyway