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Description:
These turtles tend to have a greenish colored shell that
will darken as it ages. They have 3 bulged stripes that run
vertically down the carapace. Larger specimens, such as
females will reach about 10 inches in length. Most average
8-9 inches. Males are smaller in the 5-6 inch range. Males
also have much longer and thicker tails as females are
shorter and the anus is much closer to the plastron (bottom)
of the turtle's shell.
These turtles roam slow moving streams, rivers and small
ponds in southern china and vietnam. They also appear on
the islands of Hainan and Taiwan.
The habitat they are found in is sub-tropical to tropical.
They are very good swimmers.
This species is not known to hibernate in cold wintery
conditions, but are capable of withstanding very cold
temperatures. I have hibernated these in NJ outdoors where
it is cold between the temperatures of 20-55 from December
through end of March. These turtles then emerge in the
spring like all reptiles in NJ.
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Housing: These
turtles can be kept either inside or outside. A good
outdoor setup would be pond that runs about 2-3 feet in
depth with a basking log and some kind of wall to prevent
the turtle's escape. Note: many turtles are good climbers
and can escape in areas of their enclosure that you never
thought of. Filtration should be provided as well, Fluval
FX5 makes a good powerful filter for something near 400
gallons. If you cant provide your enclosure with a wired
hing roof or some kind of other accommodation, then you
should set several havahard predator traps that lure the
predator away from your pond.
Predators such as raccoons, fox and certain species of birds
may attack your turtle for a small meal.
Some people use plastic rubbermaid pre-shaped ponds that are
dropped into the ground. Waterland tubs are also used for
an indoor or outdoor enclosure.
For on hatchling turtle, one might set up a 20 gallon long
with a submersible fluval filter. As the turtle grows, you
should increase the size of the aquarium. This may take
several years however as some turtles grow slowly, it
depends on how often they are fed.
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Feeding:
Thread turtles will take
on a variety of a diet. They are mainly herbivores, meaning
they mainly eat veges, any kind of greens for that matter.
They will eat meat as well but not as much. They are a big
fan of brand name foods such as reptomin or aquamax trout
chow. They should desire any type of brand name turtle food
offered by your local pet store.
Baby thread turtles will consume more meats and appear more
carnivours than the adult turtles. The more you feed your
turtles, the faster they grow. If you keep your turtles
together with others and do not feed every day, they might
start to nip at one anothers tail.
Sometimes over feeding can cause the water the turtle is
kept in to get dirty faster which can harm your turtle by
causing a respiratory infection. |
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Lighting:
All turtles need either natural sunlight or a UVB light and
a heat lamp, especially smaller/ younger turtles which need
temperatures usually to be warmer. Your clamp heat light
should be around one foot over top of the turtle's basking
log. Make sure when having a heat lamp 10-12 inches over
top of your turtle's enclosure that you always allow your
turtle to have access to water as it can sometimes get very
warm very quickly, which can sometimes cook your turtle. |
Filtration:
Filtration is very imporant when keeping any turtles, The
more oxygen flow you create in your water source, the
cleaner your enclosure will be. Ammonia and gases in the
water can cause severe respiratory infections in turtles.
The best way for this is to create some kind of strong water
fall but something that the turtle can get free from if it
gets caught in the rapids.
A clean and healthy environment can prevent illness from a
severely stressed turtle |
Illnesses:
When a turtle is stressed, it's immune system breaks down
and weakens. This allows the turtle to be more susceptible
to disease. A stronger immune system will allow the turtle
to battle and overcome any illness it may take on. Not
always the case but in a lot of cases, turtles are able to
fight sickness on their own. Respiratory infections can
easily be fought if the turtle is warmed up.
Many people will opt to go to the vet when their turtle is
doing something abnormal. It's probably a good idea unless
you know someone else that knows what they are doing.
Baytril and Fortaz are the two main drugs vets use for their
reptiles. Dosages are based on weight of turtle, so contact
your local vet for further information on your turtle's
health. In the mean time, keep your turtle warm with a
temperature of about 85-90 degrees. |
Breeding:
Breeding will usually take place right after a cooling
period. A cooling period with this species can range from 3
months to temps anywhere from 35-50
They can withstand colder temps, just as long as the water
they are in is not frozen solid. There can even be a layer
of ice on top, just provide some kind of heater so an area
on the surfact doesnt freeze to allow gases to escape.
After the cooling period the male will chase the female
around their enclosure until she gives in, allowing the male
to mount her. He will climb on top of her shell and remain
there until the breeding session is over. This may take
anywhere from 1 minute to several hours. The male may even
try to breed for several days. The best thing to do is
leave the female with the male for around a week, that
should be plenty of time to allow the female to get pregnant
and not enough time to stress the turtle out too much.
You can then place the turtle into a separate enclosure for
a few weeks or until she is ready to lay her eggs in a
nesting sandy area. Eggs usually take anywhere from 2-5
weeks to develop and be laid.
Check other caresheets for incubation, hatchlings and
further information that will help you with your chinese
golden thread.
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AL ROACH |
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