Young musk and mud turtles will feed on a variety of food. They love guppies
Guppy
The guppy, also known as millionfish and rainbow fish, is one of the world's most widely distributed tropical fish, and one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae and, like almost all American members of the family, is live-bearing. …
Sternotherus
Sternotherus is a genus of aquatic turtles, known commonly as musk turtles, in the family Kinosternidae. The genus is endemic to North America. This genus is closely related to the genus Kinosternon. The most common species of Sternotherus in most of North America is Sternot…
What do musk turtles eat in captivity?
The same can be said to musk turtles living in captivity; most of them enjoy a varied diet as well. You can feed your musk turtles with their favorite foods, including crickets, earthworms, redworms, dragonflies, small shrimps, snails, and crayfish.
How to take care of a baby musk turtle?
Use a soft brush and clean, tepid water to wash the shell. Baby Common Musk turtles generally need much the same care as adult specimens. They can be kept in much smaller containers but will need much shallower water levels as well until they get bigger.
What can you feed a turtle in a pond?
Consider aquatic plants that would be part of a turtle's regular diet, including duckweed, water lettuce, and water hyacinth. If your turtle needs a meat-based diet, you can feed it mealworms, earthworms, crayfish, minnows, snails, slugs, and wax worms.
How much does a stinkpot musk turtle cost?
Baby Stinkpot Musk Turtle. From: $ 29.99. These Captive Bred Babies Are About. 1-1.5 Inches In Shell Length. (Full Description Below) Options. Choose an option Single 3 Pack. Clear. $ 29.99.
What does a baby musk turtle eat?
Young musk and mud turtles will feed on a variety of food. They love guppies and mosquito larvae and will feed on blackworms and small redworms and will soon begin taking a variety of commercial pelleted food. Most remain small, with Common Musk Turtles (Stinkpots) reaching only 4 inches.
How do I get my baby musk turtle to eat?
2:424:14Feeding BABY Musk Turtle BIG Worms - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn fast flowing streams they'll just typically. Be a pond or just really still water if you thinkMoreIn fast flowing streams they'll just typically. Be a pond or just really still water if you think mustard oils are awesome and you want to buy.
What do baby musk turtles need?
Musk turtles often need multivitamin and calcium supplements to ensure their health, as most don't get enough vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium from their regular diet. Turtles of all ages need multivitamins once a week. Give calcium supplements to hatchlings every day or 3 times a week for adults.
How much should I feed my baby musk turtle?
Musk turtles less than 6 months old should be fed twice daily and turtles over 6 months old should be fed once every other day. These animals must be fed in the water to facilitate swallowing as their tongues are not meant to push food to the back of the mouth for swallowing.
How long can a baby musk turtle go without eating?
A young turtle (less than six months old) can't go a day without eating. A so-called “sub-adult” turtle (six months to one year old) can't go more than a day without eating. An adult turtle should eat, on average, every 2-3 days.
How do you take care of baby musk turtles?
Keep lighting on a 12-hours-on/12-hours-off cycle to mimic natural conditions. A submersible heater should be used to maintain water temperature at 72 to 78 degrees. A frightened musk turtle may be inclined to nip a handler, so hold it near the rear of the carapace and be wary of the long neck.
What fruit and veg can musk turtles eat?
Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed. “For fruits, consider shredded apples and melons, as well as chopped berries,” recommends Dr. Starkey.
How deep should the water be for a baby musk turtle?
4-5 inchesBabies should be kept in a smaller aquarium and moved as they grow. Due to them being a ground walker rather than swimmer, provide a shallow water depth of 10-15cm (4-5 inches); increase this depth as they grow.
Do musk turtles need heated water?
Given that musk turtles are so highly aquatic, maintaining water temperature is key to their health. Chilly water is the fastest way to cause sickness in any captive turtle. A submersible heater should maintain water temperatures at 72 to 78 degrees (though some of my colleagues recommend 75 to 84 degrees).
Do musk turtles need deep water?
Housing musk turtles When your turtles are small, make sure your water is not too deep. This is because musk turtles are not great swimmers. They tend to sink to the bottom as they do not have an air bladder like fish. If they want to go to the surface they need to paddle for it!
Can you overfeed a musk turtle?
It's essentially a form of Metabolic Bone Disease and occurs when your turtle is overfed. It's not good for the turtle and could lead to their organs being squeezed or being damaged. The biggest culprit of shell pyramiding is usually from feeding your turtle too many pellets.
Can baby musk turtles swim?
Musk Turtles are fairly good side to side swimmers but really struggle swimming upwards. They are mainly bottom walkers.
Why is my baby musk turtle not eating?
There are a long list of reasons that could explain why your baby turtle isn't eating. The most common reasons are change in the environment/stress, temperature, illness, lighting, and diet.
Why won't my baby musk turtle eat?
1:245:42TURTLE ISN'T EATING?!? | How to get your turtle to eat pellets - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLive food basically if a prey item moves eternals automatically enticed to try to go eat it becauseMoreLive food basically if a prey item moves eternals automatically enticed to try to go eat it because it's moving around and that's kind of what they go after in the wild.
Why won't my musk turtle eat?
If your turtle is not eating and you have checked the environment, your turtle may be suffering from an illness. Stress, and illnesses such as vitamin A deficiency, constipation, respiratory infection, eye problems, or pregnancy.
How deep should the water be for a baby musk turtle?
4-5 inchesBabies should be kept in a smaller aquarium and moved as they grow. Due to them being a ground walker rather than swimmer, provide a shallow water depth of 10-15cm (4-5 inches); increase this depth as they grow.
What is the best food for musk turtles?
For young musk turtles, commercial foods are often the best choice. Pellets formulated for baby turtles have balanced nutrition and higher protein contents, excellent for encouraging healthy growth.
What do musk turtles eat?
Musk turtles love eating various insects, including crickets, earthworms, redworms, dubia cockroaches, locusts, dragonflies, and damselfly nymphs. Experiment with different insects and figure out which ones your turtles like most.
How Often Should You Feed Musk Turtles?
Hatchlings and juveniles are more carnivorous, as they need more nutrients and need to be fed smaller meals more often. Meanwhile, adult musk turtles grow to like leafy greens and can go longer periods without food.
Do musk turtles eat commercial food?
As with most reptiles, it’s best to emulate their natural diet in the wild to ensure their health. That said, you don’t need to swear off commercial foods either. High-quality commercial foods can also provide musk turtles with adequate nutrition if fresh or live foods aren’t available.
Can musk turtles eat vegetables?
Musk turtles can and will eat fruits and vegetables. Make sure to wash them to get rid of harmful microbes and parasites. If needed, cut them into smaller pieces so that it’s easier for your turtles to munch on them.
Can you feed musk turtle pellets?
Additionally, you can also supplement the pellets with meat products, insects, or small fish. Be sure to cut those foods into smaller pieces so your baby musk turtles can enjoy them more easily.
Do musk turtles eat greens?
Every musk turtle is different; some may enjoy munching on greens, while some may turn up their noses and refuse to eat anything green. Try experimenting with different veggies and see if your musk turtles like anything.
What do musk turtles eat?
Common Musk Turtle Diet. A common musk turtle living in a wild habitat eats a variety of insects such as crayfish, snails, earthworms, and mollusks. They also feed on aquatic insects like damselfly nymphs, tadpoles, and dragonfly and fish eggs. Although musk turtles are considered carnivores by nature, however, they may also eat algae.
Why is the bottom of a musk turtle called a stinkpot?
It spends most of the time walking on swamps or marshes. It gets its name ‘musk’ or ‘stinkpot’ because it releases an orange colored musk that carries a heavily unpleasant scent that scares away its predators.
What are the characteristics of musk turtles?
Their unique features include a deep brown face with yellow lines and a highly arched carapace that tends to become flat as they age. Male musk turtles have a longer tail than females. They have a pointed nose and a rather large head. They are not the prettiest turtles, but other characteristics make them a good pet.
How long do musk turtles live?
Also known as Sternotherus Odoratus or eastern musk turtles, common musk turtles can live up to 50 years or more. Their unique features include a deep brown face with yellow lines and a highly arched carapace that tends to become flat as they age.
How big of a tank do musk turtles need?
A 30-gallon tank is an ideal size for a single adult Common Musk turtle. 20-gallons will do at a squeeze but it’s best to give your pet more room whenever possible. A pair of turtles need a 40-gallon tank at least, although it’s best to only house two females together.
How hot should water be for a musk turtle?
Common Musk turtles don’t have extreme heat requirements, preferring temperate waters. Use a water heater to maintain the water temperature between 72ºF and 80ºF (22 to 26ºC). Be careful with under-tank heaters as they might burn your turtle as it walks along the bottom of the tank.
How many eggs do musk turtles lay?
Common Musk Turtle Breeding. The females lay 1 to 9 eggs of elliptical shape that have a hard shell. This breeding usually takes place during the spring that may last till fall, but the eggs take about 60 to 80 to hatch.
How to make sure a baby turtle eats?
Create a food-friendly environment. Turtles need to feel comfortable to eat. In order to make sure your turtle will eat in its tank, create a food-friendly environment. To keep a clean home for your turtle you will typically want to feed it in a separate cage. This is not as imperative for baby turtles.
What do you feed a turtle?
If your turtle needs a meat-based diet, you can feed it mealworms, earthworms, crayfish, minnows, snails, slugs, and wax worms. These can be purchased at pet shops that sell turtles and other reptiles. Do not try to find worms yourself or go to a tackle shop for supplies.
What is Purina turtle pellet?
Purina produces a type of turtle pellet through their Mazuri branch with different lines for specific types of turtle and their unique dietary needs. Rep-Cal also provides a range of pellet types catering to carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Other pellet brands include ReptoMin, ZooMed, Pretty Pets, and Wardley's Reptile Pellets. You can find pellets at pet stores or order them online.
How to help a turtle with vitamin deficiencies?
Look into supplements. Because vitamin deficiencies are responsible for many turtle health problems, talk to your veterinarian about health supplements to ensure that your turtle is getting the nutrients it needs. Calcium is a particularly important nutrient for turtles. Calcium supplements for turtles can be purchased at a pet store. Dust calcium over the food up two or three times per week.
Why do turtle pellets break into fourths?
Turtle pellets should be broken into fourths as a baby turtle's mouth is smaller and you don't want it to choke.
What happens if a turtle stops eating?
If your turtle stops eating, keep an eye out for other common turtle problems. Watch for shell problems. A turtle's shell is an indicator of health and wellness. Changes to the shell can indicate poor nutrition, especially, though not exclusively, too little calcium in its diet.
How deep should a turtle tank be?
The depth of water should be very shallow for baby turtles to prevent drowning. Keep the depth under two inches.
MuddyBob
I have had many mud and musk hatchlings and they always respond to live earthworms. You have to cut the worms up into smaller pieces for hatchlings, but the wiggling gets their attention. A distant second best is fish, probably due to the odor. Some hatchlings will eat pellets right away if you are lucky.
winnerbaldwin
I feed my musk Hikari Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Algae Wafers and have done since he was a hatchling. I break the algae wafers up as they are HUGE! The ittle fella hoovers them up! These are great too, as they sink. Hope this helps. C.D.B
MuddyBob
Hatchlings are easily stressed. In the wild they would normally hide in dense vegetation. Everything from large birds to snapping turtles are a threat to them. Do you have a photo of your setup? Temperature is important too. Musk hatchlings should probably have water set around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
julesb
The Reptomin have never worked for me as well. Everytime I throw them in, I find it all by the filter. I have a baby Common Musk and I have started feeding meal worms. At first I would wait for him to finish one before iving another, now I just toss a few in and their gone the next day. They tend to lurk the bottom so its easy.
Grubb
I wouldn't recommend feeding only meal worms, they aren't very healthy and should be fed mostly as a treat. It is hard to get some turtles to eat pellets but they will eventually - it just takes some patience. Reptomin and Mazuri are both high quality pellets and are a healthy staple in a turtle's diet.
julesb
I sometimes throw reptomin in their anyway, but he just doesn't eat it. I've read that musk turtles, any young turtles in general are carnivorous. But like Britt_Brat, we just want them to at least eat something.
