The lovely southern painted turtle is widespread, so it’s not difficult to discover one. It is ideal to purchase a southern painted turtle that has been raised in captivity. Parasites may be present in wild turtles. Additionally, wild turtles could have a hard time adjusting to life in captivity.
As you may or may not be aware, there are three additional painted turtle species. Some of them are the western painted turtle, eastern painted turtle, and midland painted turtle. At least to folks like me, the southern painted turtle is the most appealing of all painted turtles.
Habitat
The aquatic southern painted turtle favours freshwater areas with slow moving currents and abundant aquatic vegetation. Although brackish environments have been known to support them, rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes are where they are most frequently found. The southern painted turtle prefers water bodies with soft bottoms and areas for sunbathing in addition to dense vegetation.
Care as a Pet
Heat
A North American species that can endure temperatures below freezing is the painted turtle. To keep the animals comfortable, aim for water temperatures over 75°F, an ambient temperature of about 85°F, and a basking spot temperature of roughly 95°F.
Feed
The main food sources for painted turtles include plants, tiny creatures including fish, crabs, and water insects, as well as occasional carrion. Young painted turtles are mostly carnivorous; later in life, they develop an appetite for plants.
Enclosure
A sizable aquarium will do for the energetic southern painted turtle because it gives them plenty of space to swim in. The ideal turtle tank size is a subject of much debate.
As a general rule, many turtle keepers advise dividing a turtle’s length by 10 to determine the tank’s volume (in gallons). As a result, a tank with a capacity of 60 gallons must accommodate a 6-inch turtle.
You can see how rapidly this scales up. I advise purchasing a water storage tank with a capacity of roughly 40 gallons. The southern painted turtle may survive in aquariums as little as 30 gallons.
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