Mississippi Mud Turtle Care: A Complete Guide
Are you thinking of adopting a turtle for a pet?
Turtles are one of the most common and popular pets all over the world for any age group of people. Many species of mud turtles can be excellent choices as a pet. A Mississippi Mud Turtle is one of those.
Some of you would love to have Mississippi mud turtles as pets but could be wondering whether or not they could take good care of that little fellow. If you are one of those people, this blog is for you!
Today, we come with a complete guide on Mississippi Mud Turtles Care. But first, let us clearly understand this particular turtle species.
Without further ado, let’s dive into it!
Basic Info About Mud Turtles
Contents
| Criteria | Information |
| Scientific Name | Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis |
| Common Name | Eastern Mud Turtle, Mud Turtle |
| Adult Size | Male: 3-5 inches Female: 3–4 inches |
| Max Size | 5 inches |
| Lifespan | Up to 50 years |
| Diet | Omnivores (Meat, fruits, vegetables, insects, etc.) |
| Range | Eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas of the United States |
| Behavior | Semi-aquatic |
| Clutch Size | 2-5 |
| Legal to Keep in the USA | Illinois Mud Turtles and Yellow Mud Turtles are not legal to keep. And it requires a permit to keep more than 5 specimens. |
| Extinction status | Least concern |
Now that we know almost all the basic information about Mississippi mud turtles let’s get deeper and learn how to take care of these pets.
Are Mud Turtles Easy to Take Care Of?
As we have known earlier, mud turtles are omnivores, which means they eat almost everything. That can depict that it might be easy to plan a diet chart for them.
However, if you want to take excellent care of your pet, you must be careful about what you are feeding them. At the same time, food is certainly not the only thing you need to take care of when you have a pet at home.
As a whole, it can be said that mud turtles might not be the toughest to take care of, yet there are a lot of things to consider to ensure the best home for them. That being said, it is also one of the best choices for people who do not have any prior experience with keeping a turtle as a pet.
How to Take Care of a Mud Turtle?
Now, if you are thinking about how to tailor the best Mississippi Mud Turtle Care plan, we are here for you. This part of the blog will solely focus on a Mississippi Mud Turtle care sheet. We will be covering the following things here-
- What should be fed to a Mississippi Mud Turtle
- What should not be fed to a Mississippi Mud Turtle
- Processes to feed a Mississippi Mud Turtle
- Setting up a basking area
- Some strange behaviors of a Mississippi Mud Turtle to notice
What should be fed to a Mississippi Mud Turtle
Mississippi Mud Turtles are omnivores. That is why a wide range of foods can be fed to them. It becomes easier for pet owners because these turtles do not require being fed something out of the ordinary. Here are some of the common foods that you can feed to your Mississippi Mud Turtle-
- Fruits
- Meat
- Vegetables
- Pellets
What should not be fed to a Mississippi Mud Turtle
Even though they are omnivores, there are certain things that a Mississippi Mud Turtle is allergic to and, thus, must be avoided while making a proper diet plan for this pet.
For example, fruits that contain a high amount of phosphoric acid or citric acid are not good for a mud turtle at all. These fruits will make your pet sick very quickly. So, you should avoid these to take care of Mississippi mud turtles.
Some examples of such fruit are-
Just like that, vegetables containing excessive amounts of Phosphorus are extremely bad for a Mississippi Mud Turtle as well. Some such vegetables are-
As for meat, any meat is suitable for them in case they do not contain any sort of fat or bone in it. It is always advised to feed cooked meat to the mud turtles. However, any condiment, pepper, salt etc. must be avoided.
Mississippi Mud Turtles cannot be fed any sort of processed foods ever. However, it is okay to serve them pellets.
Processes to feed a Mississippi Mud Turtle
One of the best ways to feed a Mississippi Mud Turtle is the 15 minutes method.
Wondering what that is?
Well, the 15 minutes method is a very popular way to feed an opportunistic feeder like a mud turtle. These turtles will eat as much as they can when they have abundant food, as they are not sure when they will be able to have food the next time.
So, you can provide them with a lot of food and let them eat for those 15 minutes. After the time is over, you can take the remaining away. However, although this is a popular technique to feed a turtle, this also comes with a risk of overfeeding. So, you need to be careful in that regard.
Another widely popular way to feed a Mississippi Mud Turtle is the Size of the Head method. This method requires you to estimate the amount of food that equals your turtle’s head, without the neck portion. Then you need to feed that portion of food to your turtle. This is actually a great way to feed your mud turtle and has proved to be very effective.
Setting up a basking area
A basking area is crucial to taking care of a Mississippi Mud Turtle. This process helps the turtles to regulate the temperature of their body. At the same time, they can also integrate the calcium in their bodies through this process.
To allow your mud turtles to bask correctly, you will have to set up a proper basking area. This area should be over the water. It is your wish as to how you want to decorate that place.
You only need to ensure that the platform is steady and there is a heat or UVB bulb above it. The mud turtles need 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit heat to bask.
Some strange behaviors of a Mississippi Mud Turtle to notice
Usually, a Mississippi Mud Turtle is calm. However, it might engage in strange behavior or actions occasionally. If you notice any of the following behaviors in your Mississippi Mud Turtle, you should be cautious-
Unsynchronized swimming
Usually, the mud turtles swim frantically in an unusual way if they have had something bad to eat or they are stressed. This kind of swimming is also seen when a mud turtle is pregnant.
Frequent and aggressive digging
If you have set up a sand section in the place where you have kept your turtles, it is natural that you will see them digging in the sand once in a while. However, if you see them digging quite repeatedly and in an aggressive way, that would more likely mean that they are pregnant and looking for places to lay eggs.
Spots on shell
If you see any unusual spots or any discoloration of the shell, that would sadly mean that your Mississippi Mud Turtle is sick. You must head to the vet as quickly as possible.
Can you Keep Mud Turtles as Pets?
A Mississippi Mud Turtle is a very popular pet. As a full-grown Mississippi Mud Turtle does not require too much extensive care and attention, it is a common pet for people from all age groups.
What Does a Mud Turtle Need in a Tank?
The tank is basically the home for the turtles as long as they are staying with you. That is why you should be very cautious and attentive while designing the tank for them.
Here are a few things that a Mississippi Mud Turtle needs in its tank-
- Water heater
- Water filter
- Heat lamp
- UVB lamp
- Basking area
Frequently Asked Questions
The Mississippi Mud Turtles need 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit temperature of water.
A Mississippi Mud Turtle is one of the most common and popular pets all over the world.
Yes, it is legal to keep a Mississippi Mud Turtle as a pet. However, you will need a permit to keep more than 5 species of turtles as a pet.
Final Words
A Mississippi Mud Turtle is one of the top choices for people who love turtles as a pet. That being said, it is also equally vital to understand how to take proper and adequate care of a turtle.
I hope this blog has been a help for those who intend to adopt a Mississippi Mud Turtle soon. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below!
