Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana)
| Texas River Cooter Pseudemys texana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Texas River Cooter |
| Name Lat. | Pseudemys texana |
| Family | Pond Turtles & Box Turtles |
| Family lat. | Emydidae |
| Order | Turtles |
| Order lat. | Testudines |
| Origin | S-USA |
| Habitat | Rivers, streams, ponds |
| Diet | Veggies, insects |
| Humidity | 50-80 % |
| Behavior | ♂ semi-aggressive |
| Keeping | Individual, harem |
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Reproduction | Oviparous |
| Housing | Aquaterrarium |
| Life Span | 25-30 years |
| Protection | No |
| Metric Units | |
| Size | 30-40 cm |
| Temperature | 25-28 °C |
| Temperature Local | 35-40 °C |
| Housing Size | 200 x 80 x 60 cm |
| US Units | |
| Size | 12"-16" |
| Temperature | 77-82 °F |
| Temperature Local | 95-104 °F |
| Housing Size | 80" x 30" x 25" |
Distribution and habitat
The diurnal Texas ornate turtles are common in the southern United States, primarily in Texas. The skillful swimmers and divers live in slow-flowing waters, but also in oxbow lakes and lakes with dense vegetation.
Maintenance
Minimum dimensions for the aquaterrarium, according to the size and number of animals
| floor space for 1-2 animals: 5PL x 2,5PL (L x W) | Water level: 2PB |
The carapace length (PL) and carapace width (PB) is measured on the largest animal. For each additional animal, increase the footprint by 10%, and for the 5th animal and larger, increase the footprint by 20%. An aquaterrarium of e.g. L 200 x W 80 x H 60 cm is recommended, which should be placed in a quiet and vibration-free place.
The water part, with a soft, muddy substrate, should be structured with roots, aquatic plants and larger stones (visibility barriers and hiding places), some of which reach the water surface. For this purpose, they need a terrestrial part (approx. 1/3 of the bottom surface) for drying, which is equipped with a soft, muddy-sandy bottom substrate, with plants and roots as well as with sunning places. To maintain water quality, a powerful filter with low flow is recommended, as well as frequent water changes
| Water Temp | lighting | Sunny | |
| Summer | 26-28 °C | 12-14 hrs. | 35-40 °C |
| Winter (2-3 months) | 12-18 °C | 8-10 hrs |
They need daily UV irradiation and sunny places with radiant heat.
Diet
Juveniles feed mainly on animal food, whereas adults feed mainly on plant food. The food supply consists of insect larvae, earthworms, meal beetle larvae, fish pieces, supplemented with pelleted or freeze-dried ready-made food. Frozen food is also well accepted. In addition, they absolutely need vegetable food, such as lettuce, dandelion, endive, and water plants (e.g. waterweed). Adults should be offered animal food no more than twice a week. It is important to regularly add minerals and vitamins.
A varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.
Reproduction and breeding
Males have a concave ventral carapace and a much longer tail than females. The anal opening of the male is closer to the tip of the tail than in the female.
A small, sandy patch of land is required for oviposition (10-25 eggs). The incubation period is 90-100 days at a temperature of 23-30 °C.
Important
They stay mainly in the water and usually come ashore only to sunbathe.
In summer, the animals can be kept in an outdoor facility.
Winter hibernation can be in water or earth-moist substrate.
In order not to distort the native fauna, they must not be released into the wild under any circumstances.
The terrarium must have good ventilation without drafts and meet the species-specific needs. Measuring devices such as thermometers, hygrometers, etc. are necessary. The lighting has to correspond to the species-specific day-night rhythm and has to be placed in such a way that the animals cannot injure themselves. The terrarium should be locked in such a way that neither unauthorized persons can open it nor the animals can escape. Contamination must be removed regularly.
Further literature can be found in your pet store.
References
Text: petdata; Image: petdata
Source: BMELV (1997): Tierschutzgutachten - Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilien; ENGELMANN (2006): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Reptilien und Amphibien, Harri Deutsch Verlag; ROGNER (2009): Taschenatlas Schildkröten, Verlag Ulmer
- Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF