Poseidon the Map Turtle
Map turtles originate from the US. My map turtle, Poseidon
is just reaching a year old. He unlike older turtles eats a nutritious blend of
turtle pellets called ‘Turtle and Terrapin Complete Food’, yet when he grows to
double his current size he can start eating live crickets. He is a friendly
being to familiar faces but tends to prefer hiding in the water. Poseidon is
still rather small and requires a day lamp, thermometer, filter and sometimes a
heater. His glass tank is filled with water, a glass platform, fake plants and
smooth pebbles.
Even though some may think that the only animals with
personalities are dogs and cats, every animal has one, yet some disguise it
more than others. Turtles, have incredible personalities, Poseidon is cheeky,
fast and greedy. He spends most his time in water and attacks his food as soon
as it enters the water, he also seems to have swimming competitions with
himself through the plants.
Poseidon needs feeding once a day, at the time you would
have your breakfast. I rotate his food from ‘Frozen Turtle Food’ and ‘Turtle
Complete Food’. His lamp needs to be turned on when I wake up and needs to be
turned off before bed. The filter is always on and the thermometer is stuck
onto the glass. The thermometer has a green and yellow section. It is ideal for
the temperature to stay in the green or yellow section, yet if it goes under
you must add a heater that can be turned on during the day, in sync with the
lamp. If the temperature goes over, it is recommended to remove your turtle and
refill your tank or turn your heating down. Finally, your turtle requires
Reptisafe, an instant water conditioner. Your turtles’ water MUST be cleansed.
It is recommended to fill a bucket or two and add a certain amount of Reptisafe,
(see box for amount) and leave overnight or for a day. This is important as you
need to make sure your turtle is healthy and is suitable for their shell and
skin.
Poseidon is a healthy young turtle, who should live for
another 24 years, he will grow larger and friendlier. Your turtle is like your
family, keep them safe and care for them like you would for every other person.
