Florida Softshell Turtle Baby Care
Be sure to provide a basking dock heat and uvb lighting.
Florida softshell turtle baby care. If you think a softshell turtle is a good fit for you get your turtle from a reputable breeder or rescue organization that can provide information on its origin and health. The baby softshell turtle is one of the hardest turtles to keep as a pet. There are many different kinds of soft shelled turtles. Choosing your softshell turtle.
Male 6 12 female 8 24 diet. In the wild they are strong carnivores preferring crayfish snails mussels frogs and assorted worms and insects. Watching soft shelled turtles feed can be a fascinating and exciting event. The florida soft shelled turtle apalone ferox is a large species females to 20 inches males smaller that is quite prolific.
They can however make excellent pets if you know what to expect and how to handle it. They do not reach sexual maturity until eight years. A large female can lay two clutches each year totaling as many as 70 eggs. Florida softshells may live more than 30 years in captivity.
Expect to pay between 50 and 150 on average. Most importantly they can grow to be quite large so it s important to know how to care for them. Photo by tim. The florida softshell turtle can grow over two feet and the weight can reach up to 40 pounds which means that if it is the breed that you plan to have as a pet you need to choose a large aquarium.
They re highly animated feeders and nearly any edible material plunked into the tank will be eagerly devoured by a softshell. These turtles can also become very large and sometimes they can be aggressive towards other turtles and humans. The florida softshell turtles are cute smart and fun pets to have. Some haev been know to eat some vegetation.
With proper care these turtles can live 20 30 years in captivity. Soft shelled turtles require a very particular habitat and regular diligent care. Naturally occurring out of southeastern united states ranging from alabama georgia south carolina and florida. We have baby florida softshell turtles for sale.
The quality of the water in the tank is important to create a healthy environment for the softshell turtle. Florida softshell turtle care. Live or pre killed fish insects and worms as well as commercial fish and turtle pellets are all appropriate fare for soft shelled turtles. A newborn is about the size of a half dollar give or take and a healthy baby grows very gradually.