Red Eared Slider Secrets. Although Most Red-Eared Sliders Can Live Up to Years, Most WILL NOT Survive Two Years!

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1 Although Most Red-Eared Sliders Can Live Up to Years, Most WILL NOT Survive Two Years! Chris Johnson 2014

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3 Although Most Red-Eared Sliders Can Live Up to Years, Most WILL NOT Survive Two Years! - CHRIS JOHNSON - 3

4 Bonus 2: 10 Common Mistakes You Should Avoid Mistakes are only to be expected, and while some can easily be gotten over, others can cause harm for your pet. Before you embark on your mission to get a red-eared slider for company, be sure to keep these following ten things in mind: Becoming Complacent Many people, once they have their turtles, never bother to research more about the animal beyond the instructions they ve been given by the pet store or seller. Unfortunately, many of these people have not been given proper training and don t know much about the animal themselves, so never assume that the information they give is correct. Taking care of a turtle is a constantly-changing experience. Be sure to do your research. The more you know, the better, and both you and your pet will benefit. Being Unprepared for the Costs of Pet Care Turtles are animals, just like cats and dogs, and from time to time they can get sick, and they require food and shelter. Before you acquire your turtle, take the time to consider whether or not you re prepared to take on the financial responsibilities. Many people don t think that a ten dollar pet is worth a trip to a veterinarian, for example, which could possibly lead to its death if there s a serious problem with it. While turtles aren t the same as people, they re living and breathing creatures 4

5 that are worth more than any amount paid for them. It s your responsibility, as the person who took it into your home, to provide for it. Failing to Provide the Right Environment Being a semi-aquatic species, red-eared sliders enjoy time both in the water and out of it. Be sure to use an aquarium of glass or acrylic, make sure it s big enough to comfortably accommodate your turtles, and pay attention to how much light and warmth your turtle is getting. Being cold-blooded reptiles, turtles rely on having somewhere to bask to keep their metabolism working right. Failing to provide for the basic necessities can quickly stress out your turtle and eventually lead to death. Using the Wrong Substrate Substrate is the material that s placed at the bottom of the enclosure. It gives the turtle something to dig around in, absorbs waste and help to keep the cage clean. Unfortunately, a lot of substrates could be harmful or even fatal to your turtle. Choosing a fine grain of sand could cause impaction, which is a blockage in the intestinal track of the turtle that requires quick surgery to fix. Some substrates just don t hold heat very well. Feeding the Wrong Foods Red-eared sliders are omnivorous turtles, meaning they can eat both plant and animal material, but it s still up to you to make sure you don t accidentally feed him something poisonous or something that could be considered junk food. For example, iceberg lettuce has almost no nutritional value, and yet many people still offer this lettuce to their turtles. Putting Large and Small Turtles Together It s never a good idea to house your smaller juvenile turtles with the larger adults. Many species of chelonians, red-eared sliders included, don t have well-developed, parental instincts. Once the turtles hatch from the eggs, they re on their own. They need to be protected from 5

6 adults, who can act aggressively, taking all of the food or even attacking the juveniles. Mixing Species If you have multiple species of turtles and tortoises, don t house them together. Each type should have its own enclosure for a multitude of reasons. Land-loving tortoises wouldn t do well in an aquatic environment, for one thing. For another, the different species all have different nutritional needs, and they can also pass parasites and diseases around between them. It s also entirely possible that a more extroverted and aggressive species will bully a shyer species, denying them food or even killing them. Being Unprepared for Emergencies In life, things often go wrong. You ll need to be prepared for extreme conditions affecting you and your house, such as power outages. If you lose power, how will you provide heat for your turtles? Do you have enough food to last for awhile, in the event of snowstorms or natural disasters? A generator is a good idea to provide heat and light for your turtles in the event of a power cut, and commercial turtle food can stay fresh and useable for a long time if kept in the freezer. Bottle water makes a good substitute for tap water, so keep some jugs of it on hand. If you need to evacuate, you can use plastic dog crates, sweater boxes or plastic tubs to transport your turtles. 6

7 Failing to Make Sure Everyone in the Family Wants a Turtle It s important that everyone in the household is willing to accept living with a turtle. While they re not noisy creatures, they can be messy. Also, you need to make sure that you take precautions against any other animals living in the house, especially dogs. Many turtles every year suffer injuries from being attacked, chewed and shaken by dogs, which seem to think they make great toys. Keep the enclosure securely closed so that the turtles can t escape and any animals can t knock it over. Never leave your turtles unsupervised and out with other animals. Biting Off More Than You Can Chew For many first-time owners, there s a sense of excitement and glee about bringing home a turtle, and that often leads to getting another and another until you ve got far more than you can comfortably support. Red-eared sliders take a lot of care, so be sure to set yourself a realistic limit and stick to it. 7

8 Written By - Chris Johnson - 8

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