East African Mud Turtle (Pelusios subniger)
Distribution
This species of African Side necked Turtle is the most commonly available in the pet trade. There are two subspecies recognised at present and these are East African Mud Turtle (
Pelusios subniger subniger) and Seychelles Islands Black Mud Turtle (
Pelusios subniger parietalis). In the wild it is found in shallow bottomed marshes and ponds in Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Zambia, North Botswana, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Gloriosa Island, Madagascar, Seychelles, Sao Tome, Gambia and Cameroon. It has been introduced into Mauritius and Florida.
Prior to getting this species research as much as possible and if possible spend time with a current keeper to see if this is the species for you, it is also worth joining your local reptile society/group as they will be able to give you hints and tips (and you may be able to do the same for them).
Size
At hatching these turtles are around 30mm (1.17”) long. As adults they tend to average around a straight carapace length, which reaches 8 inches.
Diet
This species of turtle is primarily carnivorous with the occasional aquatic plants, therefore variety is essential a good diet can include; earthworms (not blood worms), white bait, sprats, broad leaf watercress, prawns in their shell, snails, raw rabbit, chicken, turkey, crab sticks, cockles (and other shellfish), spiders (and other invertebrates), dead mice and pinkies, kidney and liver. A variety of salad plants and the occasional fruit help to get more vitamins and minerals into their diet. It is advised to feed turtles in a separate feeding tank in order to reduce the excrement and food left in their house.
Requirements
- Heat Source: - For the water, a thermostatically controlled water heater will be required. For the basking area, a guarded reflector (spot lamp) will be required. This basking lamp should be turned off at night.
- UV Light Source: - Turtles require a Reptisun 5.0 light. This should be left on for 8 to 12 hours a day and replaced every 6 months unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer. It should be positioned no more than 30cm away from the terrapins basking area to have optimum effect and not be placed behind glass shelves in aquariums. In larger surface mounted ponds/greenhouse style enclosures the new UV power bulbs are an excellent source of UVB and heat.
- Filtration: - This is important to reduce foul smells and to keep the water clean. You would be well advised to buy either a large internal filter or an external filter to help cope with the water quality, an American keeper recently recommended the combined use of an under gravel filter and a normal canister filter. It is up to the keeper in the long term as to which filtration they find works best for them. But the Fluval/Magnum filters seem to be the best at the moment.
- Land areas: - Two land areas should be available to your turtles. One area should be for basking and have a heat source above it. The other area should be away from the heat source, to allow the terrapin to regulate its body temperature. Underwater hides can be built under the land areas. It should be noted that female turtles are chicken layers and will often produce infertile eggs even without a male being present. Therefore a nest site at least thirty centimetres deep consisting of soil and sand mix should be provided in order to prevent possible egg retention problems.
- Housing - For two adult turtles a 120cm to 150cm (4-5 feet) tank would be sufficient. Indoor pools are also suitable for turtles. For larger numbers of turtles a converted greenhouse/shed with built in pond can be a useful alternative. Care should be taken with a pond of this size to ensure that a drain is fitted in the pond to save on cleaning time. The last option is one of the better options as it does allow natural behaviours to occur that would otherwise be inhibited. The more space this turtle is provided with the more content it will become.
Temperature
The water temperature should be in the region of 25 - 27°C (78-82°F) and should be maintained using a thermostatically controlled water heater. A basking area should be available with the temperature ranging from 28 - 31°C (82 - 86°F). It is also recommended to put some sphagnum moss in the water to lower the pH as these turtles thrive best when the pH is between 6 and 6.5. The water should be at least 5 inches deep.
Longevity
This species of turtle has been known to live up till 50 years in captivity. However, The average lifespan is around 25 to 30 years. Although if given the correct care from a hatchling some turtles may outlive the 50 years.
NB- if a captive bred turtle is bought then this turtle rarely becomes ill and is extremely hardy.
Lots of Photographs of the subspecies can be found on http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/bis/turtles.php?menuentry=soorten&id=128 A Distribution map can be found on http://emys.geo.orst.edu/collection/species/Pelusiossubniger/Pelusiossubniger.html
Recommended Reading/Useful Contacts
Stuart Dodsworth –
stuartandlynette@dodsworth2005.wanadoo.co.uk
The International Herpetological Society –
www.international-herp-society.co.uk
The British Herpetological Society –
www.thebhs.org
Taxonomy Information –
http://srs.embl-heidelberg.de:8000/srs5bin/cgi-bin/wgetz?-e+[REPTILIA-Species:'Pelusios_SP_subniger']
Tortoise Trust –
www.tortoisetrust.org
BCG – British Chelonia Group –
http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/
World Chelonia Trust -
http://www.chelonia.org/
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/exotics/pelusios.html
http://www.unc.edu/~dtkirkpa/stuff/pel.html
http://www.pondturtle.com/lturtle.html#Pelusios - longevity information.
www.reptilekeeper.co.uk
http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id24833
http://www.jaxzoo.org/things/biofacts/EastAfricanMudTurtle.asp
http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/bis/turtles.php?menuentry=soorten&id=128
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=2281 - info on introduced populations.
http://emys.geo.orst.edu/collection/species/Pelusiossubniger/Pelusiossubniger.html
http://www.empireoftheturtle.com/index.htm
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