African Sideneck won’t bask. I recently purchased a female african sideneck turtle and when I first put her in her tank I noticed some issues. Please help! Depending on the sub-species, this isn't uncommon. He doesnt seem to care what kind of lights i use. It is one of the few that Oregon allows, and Hawaii allows them, too, but to keep them there requires special permit. These turtles are list as least concern on the IUCN red list since 1996 and they are doing very well in the wild. You must log in or register to reply here. I just put him in a pond with no basking spot. The different roles of UVA and UVB light. Unless you live in a climate that is warm all year round, these turtles should not be kept outdoors because they don’t hibernate. Ok then if I do that I will most likely add more water to the tank and add the basking area I use a temp gun to measure the basking spot that’s why I don’t have a thermometer. Rather than go with the all or nothing approach, try setting up a platform/wire rack that sits about four inches below the surface of the water with the basking light just above it. These turtles got their common name because they're unable to tuck their heads entirely inside their shells, so they tuck them to the side instead. its also really hot where I live so could i just take him out everyday and let the sun hit him? brownvanman, January 19, 2012 in Crooked Necks. Tortoise Club members get a special banner on their posts, unlimited gallery storage space, special offers from our sponsors, upload videos, and more! Parasites. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I just bought an African Sideneck Turtle (his name is darwin) and I got the food and made sure the water was clean, but I read online that turtles need a basking light. Sidenecks are on the larger side as far as turtles go, and they can live for several decades. Sign up for a new account in our community. It is almost fully grown, with its shell being just under 6" in length. Once the rarest of turtles in the United States, pink-bellied side-necks are now being bred successfully by several U.S. breeders to the point where the growing demand by U.S. keepers is met every year. Posted by 3 years ago. And I've had them for 2 years. My captive breed Pelusios castaneus also, but smallest one probably caught from wild bask more than 5 - 6 hours per day. All of our water turtles for sale, including baby turtles are 100% captive bred. He'll perch on the upper ramp under his heat bulb for hours. Southern Africa: African softshell turtle: Trionyx triunguis: parts of East, West and Middle Africa Pancake tortoise: Malacochersus tornieri: most common in Kenya and Tanzania: Radiated tortoise: Astrochelys radiata: native to southern Madagascar: Speke's hinge-back tortoise: Kinixys spekii: Tanzania, etc. How long will she go without eating. Turkana mud turtle: Pelusios broadleyi: Eastern Africa (Kenya, etc.) On sensing danger or predators, African side-necked turtles can emit an unpleasant odor to keep off their predators. I have had my African Side Neck for almost 2 years and in that time he has not basked one time. African Sideneck Turtle Diet The African Sideneck Turtles will consume commercial grade turtle food, but will still eat the foods that they are found eating in the wild if provided the opportunity. He will need at least a 20 gallon filtered aquarium with a basking spot. The turtle is legal to keep in all U.S. states. Preferably you must have about a 75 gallon aquarium (or larger) that is half to three-quarters filled with water. Just throwing this out there as a possibility, are you using a coil bulb? African Sideneck Turtle Light? 1 day baby pelomedusa subrufa african side necked turtles - Duration: 3:59. pipicaca 6,864 views. The uvb and the heat lamp must be at the same place and over the basking spot, otherwise she is not getting much uvb at all. Is that normal, It’s the top of her dome that she hides in its big enough for her it doesn’t move. Comment why won't it bask I'm soon getting a heater anther filter sand plants sub Joined Jun 8, 2018 Messages 48 Location (City and/or State) Ny. They can be real fun to watch at, but they seem very sensitive to touch, and can hide themselves for hours if we attempt to touch them. I got her on February 19th so she has been in my care for about a month now. The water temp is in the mid 70’s like I read it was supposed to be I have turtle sticks but they are too small to hand feed and she hides from me. The other modification of this approach is to have the platform/rack under the basking ramp. The only gotcha is in a smaller tank like a 20 Long (what I use), it renders most filters useless because it obstructs water circulation. You can keep your African Sideneck Turtle in a pretty basic enclosure. It's easy. African sideneck turtles; Box turtles; Red Eared Sliders; Painted turtles; Snapping turtles will rarely bask, but they still need a heat lamp; Some turtle species will bask more than others. That would help me understand your setup. I just bought an african sideneck turtle, and I keep his heating lamp on 24hrs. West African Mud Turtle Availability . What would you do if you found a poisonous snake on your door step? In all honesty i don't know which kind he is, but i did a little research and from as far as i can tell he appears to be Pelomedusa subrufa. I've spent alot of money making an environment where he can bask. I know that’s unlikely but I just turned her heat light off and left the uvb light on which makes it look dark and she came right out before you could barely see her head. We have a UVB set up as well as ceramic heat emitter right above the basking area. As a rule of thumb, the larger habitat you can provide, the better for your new baby turtle. Archived. What kind of African Sideneck do you have? Therefore the lack of basking makes sense. I have an African side neck named Shelly. Many species will "bask" this way including Pelusios and Pelomedusa...and many non-basking aquatic turtles. They have withstood the test of time making them expert survivalists in a harsh world. He is on his 3rd tank now and still has no interest in doing anything but hiding. Give options, your turtle will choose the spot that meets its needs. What kind of heating lamp are you using? Because captive-bred turtles refer to those that are hatched here at our facility and bred from parents that are also captive-bred. Could you show me a picture of your basking spot? I have tried everything i can possibly think of. A bit about her! Hey everyone I just bought an African Side Necked Turtle from my local pet store and he doesn't seem to be eating or basking. Oh and he has some white stuff on on left foot can you please tell me what it is? In case of Pelomedusa subrufa most of my turtles does not bask. I just recently bought a ZooMed Floating Dock but all he does is hide under it. African Sideneck will not bask at all. I use one of these in my African Sideneck's aquarium and he loves it. Has anyone had this issue with "mud turtles" being so shy? African sideneck turtles that are suffering from a lack of Vitamin D3 and/or calcium may display swollen eyes or limbs and open wounds on the skin. Her flesh is swollen, although she is able to move but slowly. all species of "african side neck turtles" in either Genus (one of which is monotypic), are tropical animals. OK your basking does not make your turtle completly get out of water. There are quite a few sub-species of each. 1. Okay thank you. To the turtle it is the same as hiding under a log...remember feeling secure it the key to getting any animal to "expose" itself...I know what you're thinking Razorclaw. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. I just recently acquired a yellow bellied slider and with hours she was basking. Basking has multiple purposes including thermo-regulation as well as chemo-regulation. My African Sideneck Turtle appears ill. Why does one spot in the entire tank have to meet all the needs at once? I have also used a powersun in the past. Lastly, if you notice little worms floating around in your turtle tank, if your turtle is unable to swim or breathe properly, or if your turtle has a lot of bubbling coming from its nose, it probably has a parasite problem. I need to manually change the water once a week. African Sideneck won’t bask. also, do they like to be pet or touched? JavaScript is disabled. I would have caught him by now. First enclosure , any advice or changes needed. they would never hibernate in their native lands. West African mud turtles are quite common in nature and first appeared some 120 million years ago making them one of the most primitive turtle species on earth today. He daily diet is 5 growth turtle pellets and a piece of lettuce. Thank you Im happy to hear that my turtle is normal. My captive breed Pelusios castaneus also, but smallest one probably caught from wild bask more than 5 - 6 hours per day. For baby West African sideneck turtles, something as small as 15-20 gallons can work. What kind of African Sideneck do you have? Please help. ReptileRoad 63,103 views. By Aquatic turtles are fun to watch, especially when they're as unique looking as the African sideneck turtle. I didnt know what to do. African Sideneck will not bask at all. I had a Midland Painted for a long time and she never had any basking issues even when they were in the same tank. If it's not supplying what your turtle needs (mainly heat, but also essential UVB rays), then there won't be any reason for them to venture up there. Close. African Sideneck Turtle Care - Duration: 5:55. Am i supposed to do this, or does he need a day/night cycle to sleep? He doesnt bask when im not here trust me, I have never caught him diving back into the water, he doesnt do it. I keep him in a 15 gallon tank with plenty of room with a 75 watt heat bulb and a UVB light. AFRICAN SIDENECK TURTLES; Pelomedusa and Pelusios, otherwise known as African Side neck turtles have been quite popular in pet stores for some time. African Sideneck Turtle Endangerment . I've had an African sideneck turtle for about two and a half months now. I have had my subrufa olivacea for a year now and have only seen them out basking maybe 3 times.. and they are in a room where they see humans MAYBE 1-2 times a day... others are always basking (my castanaeus for example) and others (my one chapini) are always buried in the sand... these guys are very different from your basking species. Juvenile and adult African side-necked turtles will require more area for both swimming, and dry-docking (basking). African sidenecks sometimes bask, but are more likely to stay in the water.They aren't very avid baskers and get their UVB in the water. Does my African sideneck need more water and do they bask because i never see him on his basking dock Hello there, I am very new to owning a turtle and I am a bit lost and need help. If kept properly, African Sideneck Turtles should not have many ailments … African Sideneck Turtle Health Issues. I have both UVB and UVA. If the temperature is proper and UVB is present, and the basking area does not fall back into the water, there isn't an inherint issue with the basking area itself. African side-necked turtles belong to the family Pelomedusidae. African Sideneck Turtles are often seen in a range of natural habitats, such as shallow pools, large lakes, and rivers. I raised the temperature of the room and water to about 82 degrees F. Yesterday she had same swollen condition, but she ate 6 goldies in a row. Her name is Margret, the store said she was around 1-2 years old. he probably basks when you are not there. They are also called the African mud turtle or the African helmeted turtle. These turtles love to swim and bask so an owner must ensure the turtles are able to do these activities in order to have a happy pet. I also don’t understand why when the lights are on she hides and when the lights go off she comes out anything I read about Sidenecks said that they are active during the day. Got my african sideneck turtle in a 75 gallon aquarium always loved turtles when I was a kid and now so happy to own one. An aquarium of 40-75 gallons can be used for up to 3 adult West African side necks. Therefore, always do your homework correctly before buying this wonder for yourself. Environment. Pelusios castaneus have remained easily obtainable and fairly inexpensive for the turtle keeper. In case of Pelomedusa subrufa most of my turtles does not bask. They are a fairly hardy species and don't grow quite so large and can be maintained in an aquarium. My african sideneck turtles shell has white flakey spots where it looks like parts of his shell are comming off, he's never done this before in the past 3 years, it looks like maybe a calcium defecincy, but he has been offerend a cuttlebone and doesn't chew on it at all. Turtle docks are poor substitutes for a good sand mound. Skywateur, Ive had him for 2 years I doubt he basks when im not home. Temperature may be the issue as African sidenecks are a tropical species. 3:59. they must not be allowed to hibernate. 5:55 . Iv had my turtle for a week now she wouldn’t bask on her first platform so I got her a hut that she can hide/ sleep in and it doubles as a basking area because of how tall it is and she won’t use that either she just sticks her head out of the water to get air. Raising a baby Pink belly side-necked turtle can be easy, so long as you do your homework and have the proper habitat. We are going on vacation soon and dont have a way of feeding her. Thread starter tortmommy; Start date Aug 18, 2018; Aug 18, 2018 #1 tortmommy Member. Become a supporting member today! I use something like this but a bigger one. Not sure I can do anything else, until I get her to a vet first thing tomorrow. For example, people who own a musk turtle often say they don’t see it basking. My pelusios does bask when I am not here but once I get in the room they just dive in the water. However, this doesn’t mean that it does not need a basking lamp at all. Would the tank being too hot or too much light keep her from coming out? Also any more tips on how to care for this species of turtle would be appreciated!