Mud turtles, belonging to the Kinosternon genus, are captivating creatures found across diverse habitats in the Americas. Known for their relatively small size and adaptable nature, they have become increasingly popular as pets. Understanding their dietary needs is crucial for ensuring their health and longevity, with some species living up to 50 years. This article delves into the specifics of mud turtle diets, both in the wild and in captivity, offering a comprehensive guide for enthusiasts and caretakers.
Mud Turtle Species and Their Natural Habitats
The Kinosternon genus encompasses 22 species and 15 subspecies of aquatic turtles. These turtles are generally smaller than musk turtles. Scorpion mud turtles inhabit regions from Mexico to South and Central America, boasting domed, oval shells ranging from 3.6 to 10.6 inches in length. The Arizona mud turtle, found in Lower Colorado River Sonoran Desertscrub, Arizona Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, and Semidesert Grassland communities, thrives in low valleys and near temporary water sources. Male Arizona mud turtles measure 4 - 7.5 inches long, while females have an average length of 3.5 - 6.5 inches. They have domed carapaces that can be olive, brown, or yellow-brown. Eastern mud turtles, on the other hand, are the rarest turtle species in New York, preferring slow-moving bodies of water with soft bottoms, such as ponds, swamps, marshes, and roadside ditches. Their carapaces measure 3 - 4 inches long and can vary from yellow to black, featuring large, double-hinged, yellow-to-brown plastrons. Striped mud turtles are found in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina in quiet fresh water swamps, canals, and ponds.
Dietary Habits in the Wild
Mud turtles exhibit diverse feeding habits depending on their species and environment. The Arizona Mud Turtle is a carnivore that feeds on toads, tadpoles, invertebrates, fish, and carrion. It has been observed pulling breeding toads under the surface of the water at night. Yellow mud turtles are omnivorous, consuming worms, frogs, crayfish, snails, fairy shrimp, fish, slugs, leeches, and tadpoles. Rough-footed mud turtles primarily eat plant material, such as filamentous algae, along with seeds, fruits, aquatic or terrestrial arthropods, and aquatic gastropods. Scorpion mud turtles have a broad diet that includes insects and their larvae, shrimp, crabs, snails, spiders, worms, carrion, bird eggshells, fruits, nuts, algae, seeds, and aquatic plants. The diet of the striped mud turtles primarily consists of insects, worms, snails, algae, seeds, and the remains of invertebrates.
Nutritional Needs in Captivity
While mud turtles enjoy a varied diet in their natural habitats, replicating this in captivity requires careful planning to ensure a balanced nutritional intake. Before establishing a diet, it's essential to research the specific dietary requirements of your mud turtle species. Omnivorous turtles need a combination of greens, vegetables, and fruits, along with animal protein. Young turtles require daily feeding to support their growth, whereas adults can be fed less frequently, about 2 to 3 times a week.
Essential Food Components
Mud and musk turtles eat commercial aquatic turtle diets well, but need some fish and invertebrates in their diet. Offer them a variety of food. Like all basking turtles, mud and musk turtles are susceptible to vitamin A and D3 deficiencies. The key to a healthy turtle is variety in their diet. Small to medium sized fish (not goldfish), insects (crickets, earthworms, red worms), and snails are offered for the meat portion of their diet. Hatchlings are generally fed insects. Supplementation with commercially produced turtle pellets is recommended as well. Some people prefer to feed only commercially produced turtle pellets.
Read also: Carnivorous Turtles in Florida
Feeding Frequency and Supplementation
Hatchlings are fed two times a day as much as they will eat in 10-15 minutes. Adults are fed once a day and as much as they can consume in 10-15 minutes. It is recommended to come up with a standard food amount for adult chelonians to be fed daily to monitor appetite changes. If the water is becoming fouled too quickly or the turtle is becoming obese then the food will need to be decreased. All food should be sprinkled with a multi-vitamin once a week and a calcium supplement daily for hatchlings and three times a week for adults.
Specific Dietary Recommendations
Eastern mud turtles are omnivores with specific dietary needs. They primarily eat worms, fish, snails, and dark green leafy vegetables. Avoid iceberg or romaine lettuce. Offer a variety of items including aquatic turtle pellets like Zilla Turtle Sticks, as well as treats they’ll love like Zilla River Shrimp or Turtle Chasers. Feed them one protein meal every other day and leafy greens daily. Provide calcium supplements regularly and consider a separate feeding area to manage messiness.
Habitat and Enclosure Considerations
Most mud and musk turtles are small, hardy, and inquisitive, making them some of the best turtles to keep indoors. Most musk turtle hatchlings are very small. These small babies, however, are great feeders and are very hardy. Offer them an enclosure with water that is filtered and warmed to the 74-78° F (23-26° C) range. They need to be able to climb out of the water to bask, so keep the water level low (3-4 inches), offer them plenty of decorations, and place UVB-emitting bulbs over them. The decorations should provide them underwater exploration sites and also break the surface of the water to offer a good basking site. A spotlight with a low-wattage bulb (40-watt or 60-watt) should be placed over the most accessible basking spot. This basking spot should reach 85° F (29° C) during the hottest part of the turtle’s afternoon.
Enclosure Setup
As a semi-terrestrial turtle, eastern mud turtles require both land and water habitats in their enclosure. You will want at least a 40-gallon tank for one turtle, 50-100 gallons for the typically larger females. The habitat should be half land and half water. Water depth should be twice the length of the turtle. Consider adding a second tank for the land portion to keep things cleaner.
Water Quality and Maintenance
Many species of musk turtles are found in spring-fed streams. Therefore, most mud and musk turtles will thrive in water that is soft, clean, oxygenated and with plenty of underwater decorations. The larger species (Kinosternon scorpioides, Staurotypus triporcatus, S. salvini, etc.) will enjoy a deeper setup. Use PVC pipes, driftwood, and rock piles to keep combative males away from each other or even better, set up small groups of one male and two or three females per enclosure. Make sure to use a strong filter to maintain water quality. Water care products can help significantly reduce time spent on upkeep. The water for these turtles is critically important! The water should be twice as deep as the turtle’s length at the deepest part. Change a third of the water once a week to keep the water clean. Those species naturally found in clear, oxygenated streams, often exhibit eye and skin problems if kept in unclean water. Pinkish skin, a pinkish plastron, and puffy skin or eyes are signs that the water quality is poor.
Read also: What Do Alligator Snapping Turtles Eat?
Substrate and Furnishings
In the aquatic section of your enclosure, use gravel as a clean alternative to mud. The land section can ideally use wet leaves and loam as a substrate that will encourage their natural burrowing behavior. With Mud turtles, it is recommended to have a bare tank bottom or with large river stones larger than the animal can consume accidentally. The rocks, however, will require weekly agitation to keep the tank cleaner. Every 2-4 weeks the rocks should be removed from the tank and disinfected with dilute bleach solution. All cage furnishings should be removed and scrubbed well with a toothbrush designated for the job and bleach diluted 1:20 with water every 2-4 weeks as well. Mud turtles like to hide because this helps them feel safe. So, if you have a mud turtle as a pet, you can buy some accessories that would serve as hiding spots.
Temperature and Lighting
Typically, the water temperature should be maintained between 74°F and 78°F degrees Fahrenheit. A thermometer in the water is highly recommended at the location furthest away from any heat source and one near the heat source. Water temperature can be maintained using a submersible water heater or under tank heater on a thermostat. If a submersible water heater is used, it is recommended to place a piece of PVC pipe with several holes drilled into the sides of it over the heater to prevent accidental burns and biting. A general rule of thumb is a 75 watt heater will work for a 40 gallon tank, a 55 watt heater for a 55 gallon tank, and a 200 watt heater for a 100 gallon aquarium. The basking light should be over a flat stone such as slate or log. Basking sites should be between 85°F and 92°F and easily accessible to the chelonian. Metal clamp lamps work well for these sites. The ambient temperature of the tank can be increased with under tank heaters and/or the basking lamp as well and maintained at 78-82°F. During the night, under tank heaters or ceramic heat emitters can be used to increase the ambient temperature as it will offer no light. UVA and UVB is a necessity for a healthy turtle. Indoor turtles require UVB lighting and supplemental heat lights for 10-12 hours a day. Make sure to provide access to UVA/UVB. As with most reptiles, Mud turtles do well on a light cycle that simulates 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. A high quality UVB bulb such as a 5.0 ReptiSun bulb is recommended for adults and a 10.0 ReptiSun bulb is recommended for hatchlings and young turtles. These bulbs help the body convert vitamin D3 into calcium and helps prevent the disfiguring and deadly metabolic bone disease which is generally caused by a lack of available calcium in the reptiles’ body causing the body to absorb calcium from the bones.
Health and Maintenance
Like all basking turtles, mud and musk turtles are susceptible to vitamin A and D3 deficiencies. Be sure to offer them a variety of food. Those species naturally found in clear, oxygenated streams, often exhibit eye and skin problems if kept in unclean water. Pinkish skin, a pinkish plastron, and puffy skin or eyes are signs that the water quality is poor.
Quarantine
It is recommended that all new turtles be quarantined away from the rest of the household chelonians for at least 60-90 days. In this time period the owner can access the animals’ behavior and health status. Chicago Exotics strongly urges owners to bring these animals in during quarantine for a wellness exam and a fecal evaluation.
Handling
Mud turtles make great pets. You’ll find it very easy if you know how to care for turtles. You should be very gentle in handling them and avoid picking them up if not necessary.
Read also: Feeding Your Box Turtle
Conservation Status and Threats
The dependence of striped mud turtles on waters of low salinity makes it vulnerable to decline and/or extirpation in the Lower Keys. Natural freshwater habitats in the Keys tend to be small (up to 50 acres) and vulnerable to degradation. Their natural habitats depend on a natural subsurface freshwater lens (ground water supply for islands) although striped mud turtles are also found in manmade ditches and ponds. Freshwater lenses can be affected by over withdrawal by humans, and saltwater intrusion. Although the species has survived untold hurricanes, severe saltwater overwash from very large storms could increase salt content of fresh and brackish water ponds making them unsuitable habitat for the striped mud turtle (Dunson 1992). Other threats to the species include increases in egg predation because predator population subsidized by humans and pollution, especially oil spills.
Mud Turtles in the Ecosystem
Mud turtles play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. Mud turtles help maintain a balanced insect, snail, amphibian, and crayfish population. Moreover, they help clean the water as they also feed on dead fish.