Getting Into American Turtles

When I was a little kid I wasn’t exactly thrilled by turtles. Every time a friend showed me their pet Chelonian it was either a Slider or a Map, swimming round in a little tank and munching on pellets of brown food. To an eight-year-old me this just made them seem like a boring, homogenous group of animals. I’d think, “do they even kill things?” or “why are we looking at this when I have a snake at home?!” What changed? Well, I moved to Indiana at the age of nine, and that was an eye opener to say the least. First, I caught some Painted and Musk turtles, then by the age of fourteen I’d added Snappers, Softshells, Box and even Blanding’s to my list. Not only was the U.S. home to more turtle species than I could have ever imagined, but they turned out to be more diverse and contrasting than I expected too. To top it off, my best friend during this time was a major turtle enthusiast! He taught me things like what Eastern Box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) really like to eat – in between saving me from the occasional ass-kicking at school.

Now that I’m all grown up – and a herpetologist – people often ask me why I keep going back to the U.S. for herping trips, rather than the tropics. In truth it isn’t just childhood nostalgia, and turtles are a big part of it. As well as being home to some of the world’s most amazing snakes, lizards and salamanders, the U.S. is a bona-fide turtle megadiversity country. In fact, the Mobile Bay area of Alabama is one of only two areas on earth where 18 or more species of Chelonian co-exist (the other being the area where the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers merge in Bangladesh). This is in great part because the south-east and the eastern seaboard of the U.S. are what I like to call a “turtle sweet spot” –  that is to say an absolutely huge swathe of humid, temperate-to-subtropical land that is criss-crossed with rivers and peppered with lakes. This has allowed the American turtles to radiate into over 50 species over the course of their evolution – more than can be found in any other country in the world! Amongst these you can find everything from peaceful omnivores to vicious predators.

In this article we’re going to take a quick look at four species that not only illustrate this amazing diversity, but also make truly awesome pets. You might be mainly a snake keeper like me – but stay put, these critters will tempt even the most fanatical ophidian enthusiast!

#1: The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

This species is one of the most beautiful turtles on the planet, as you can see from this male specimen (as indicated by his red irises). The stunning animal in this photo is no fluke, in fact I’ve seen more brightly coloured Eastern Box Turtles than not. Found from Massachusetts to Georgia in the east, then as far as Tennessee and Michigan in the west, their abundance is highly variable. An avid herper could find as few as one a year in parts of Indiana, or ten a week in parts of North Carolina.

The most remarkable thing about these turtles, however, is their shell, which bears a hinge between the pectoral and abdominal scutes of the plastron. Thanks to this adaptation they can close both front and back portions of their plastron so tightly that they literally become a box. Being terrestrial they occupy a tortoise-like niche, but the ability to close their shell probably gives them an evolutionary edge over tortoises in a continent where opportunistic predators like skunks, raccoons and opossums are so common.

As a captive, the Eastern Box Turtle is alert, curious and rewarding, with long-term pets learning to come running for food. That said, there are a couple of major mistakes that people make with this animal. First is buying wild-caught specimens. These don’t often do well due to the catching/transporting stress; and the fact that their populations are declining makes removing them from the wild something of an ecological sin. The second mistake is maintaining them with a low humidity level, which invariably leads to eye problems and respiratory infections. During summer the eastern U.S. has high humidity and high temperatures, so aiming for a humidity level of around 80% and temperature gradient of 75-87F goes a long way to keeping these guys healthy. Deep, humid substrate and a shallow water bowl big enough to soak in are a good idea to help with humidity.

As far as diet goes, variety is the key with this species, alongside high-quality calcium and vitamin supplementation. About 40-50% of their diet should be night-crawlers, Zophobas worms and other creepy crawlies whereas the rest should be dark greens, mulberries, Morel mushrooms, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and the occasional banana.

#2: The Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera)

What a crazy-looking animal this is! It’s essentially the Stealth Bomber of the turtle world. They have a flattened, smooth shell without scutes, a snorkel nose, strongly webbed feet and a sharp beak that can chop fish to pieces. To top it off, members of this genus are probably faster on land than any other turtles. This whole pack of morphological adaptations gives them everything they need to hunt or hide successfully. Their flat shape allows them to easily bury themselves in river or pond bottoms whereas their snorkel nose allows them to take a breath whilst remaining submerged. But don’t bother waiting if you’re chasing one and it dives – they can literally stay down there for hours thanks to their ability to absorb oxygen through their skin. Males and females are strongly dimorphic, with females being twice the size and tending to lose the dark ocelli that juveniles have. In the wild A. s. spinifera has a geographic range that encompasses the Mississippi River Watershed, with populations to the west of Nebraska and to the east of West Virginia being fragmented. Whether A. spinifera is a single species with several subspecies (A. s. spinifera being the one covered here) or a complex of species is an ongoing debate, and one that I frankly would not be able to comment on.

When it comes to their captive husbandry this species is hardy if you can get a captive bred juvenile. The main issues you can have are that females can get huge (15’’+) and are sometimes ill-tempered. Getting a scar from a bad bite is a strong possibility. These issues are countered by the fact that watching such an awesome predator is well worth the effort of keeping them. They will hunt and destroy pretty much any aquatic animal you put in with them, from invertebrates to Bluegills. Weirdly enough, they also love bread – though I can’t say how good or not this is for them.

Contrary to popular belief, these turtles do bask, so providing a dry basking spot is essential. Last time I went herping in the Midwest I saw several adult females basking on sand banks on more than one occasion. The mistaken belief that they almost never leave the water may be due to how incredibly alert, fast and shy wild specimens are. Juveniles and adults alike need silt or plant detritus to hide in at the bottom of their water. Humidity and temperature levels should be similar to those recommended for the Eastern Box Turtle, but be sure to check water temperature as well, as they’re often found in relatively shallow, warm water.

#3: The Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)

First and foremost, this species is endangered and in decline throughout its range, which is mainly the northern half of the Midwest, though small populations are dotted around as far east as Nova Scotia and as far west as Nebraska. This status makes it scarce in the hobby, but captive bred hatchlings are becoming more and more common these days so don’t rule it out just yet. These turtles are almost like a weird box turtle. They have a hinge that becomes reasonably mobile in adults, a high-domed carapace and only partial webbing between digits. Where they diverge is in the fact that they have a flat, frog-like head with high-placed, forward facing eyes and an incredibly long neck. These features allow them to focus on prey that passes directly in front of their snout and ambush it with a vacuum-gulp, not unlike the Matamata (Chelus fimbriata). They are damn good predators too – I have even observed one taking a mouse in shallow water. As far as their colouration goes, I think that the contrast between the black carapace and the mainly yellow underside makes them one of the most attractive species out there.

Blanding’s Turtles have everything you could want from a pet turtle. They are active and intelligent, making for a truly interesting creature. Not only that, but in my opinion their ecology has not been studied nearly enough, and observations of their behaviour and habits can be of genuine scientific interest. If you consider keeping this species then remember that they spend a fair amount of time on land, so will require a sizable dry area as well as water deep enough to hunt in. They are rumoured to be shy but adding plants and debris to their water will make them feel more secure and less likely to hide. As far as their dietary requirements go, they truly are carnivores and will eat anything you drop in the water! There’s a nascent myth that these turtles are omnivores, but I personally doubt this. More likely is that they only occasionally supplement their diet of live prey with aquatic plants – or that ingestion of plant matter is simply an accident on their part. As with all species in this article, replacing the variety of their natural diet is extremely difficult, so vitamin/calcium supplementation and UV lighting are a must.

#4: The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

Last but certainly not least, is a species that probably should be avoided by beginners once it reaches a certain size. That said, it is an incredible animal, and about as dinosauric as a living reptile gets aside from Crocodilians. The bulk of their natural distribution is Louisiana and Mississippi, though they can be found as far east as the Suwannee River system in Florida and as far north as the southern tip of Indiana. Until recently M. temminckii was considered a single species, but some taxonomists now divide it into three, the other two being M. suwanniensis and M. apalachicolae. This division of a single species into several is something you will see a lot in the coming years – sometimes due to advances in genetics, and sometimes due to scientists being tempted by a little taste of notoriety.

In any case, this turtle is like no other! It is by most estimates one of the two or three largest freshwater species on the planet, with one captive animal having weighed in at a whopping 251lb. Though this animal was a record breaker, it’s worth remembering that 40lb+ for captives is the norm. On top of this huge size, they have some unique features. Their head is massive, with powerful jaws that can inflict a serious bite. Inside their mouth they have a pink, worm-like appendage that they use to fish for prey. This tongue-based worm mimicry is a predatory tactic known as lingual luring and it is pretty convincing (to a fish at least). If you have a little patience, then watching an Alligator Snapper eat is a real treat.

The aforementioned size and potential for inflicting injury do make this turtle more challenging as an adult. But consider this, it can take them over ten years to reach sexual maturity, in which time you can save up for bigger tanks and grow your setup in line with the animal’s size. Also, adults of this species almost never leave the water, meaning that the potential for them to injure you is generally less than many other bitey animals. For day to day husbandry, simply give yourself a set distance at which your hands must remain from the turtle’s head and respect it – ALWAYS. For example, if you have a 12’’ Snapper, then during feeding or maintenance never get your hands closer than 20’’ from the animal’s head.

When you feed it, do it with long utensils like the tongs used for feeding snakes. And if at some point you do need to remove the animal from its tank then use heavy duty gloves and learn from an experienced keeper how to handle them correctly. I’m sure you’ve seen the photos of people holding them up online, but its always so much better to have someone show you in person! That said, a lot of Alligator Snappers get pretty chilled-out after years of captivity and make fascinating pets. Respect their space and they will be good as gold. Again, make sure their air humidity is high, it is their lungs that require it even if they are surrounded by water.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at four of my favourite American turtles!

These species all make great pets if you take the time to research them and care for them properly. I aim to read care sheets from at least five different sources when learning about a future pet and this method has helped me avoid a lot of mistakes over the years. Don’t forget that flashy websites filled to the brim with in-text product links are often full of sh*t! Sometimes the best information comes from boring-looking websites and forums that are created purely with education in mind, rather than profit. As always, be sure to check local and state laws on what species are legal in your area before buying a hatchling. 

Special thanks to Brock at allturtles.com for help with photos