How to Care for a Yellow-Headed Side-Necked Turtle? How Big Can It Grow?
The yellow-headed side-necked turtle is also called the yellow-spotted side-necked turtle, yellow-striped side-necked turtle, ninja turtle, and so on. As people's living standards rise higher and higher, many people nowadays are willing to keep the yellow-headed side-necked turtle as a pet, so how exactly do you care for a yellow-headed side-necked turtle? How big exactly can it grow? What do you need to pay attention to when keeping a yellow-headed side-necked turtle? And what kinds of food does the yellow-headed side-necked turtle eat? Let's take a look together.
How to Care for a Yellow-Headed Side-Necked Turtle
1. Choosing a tank. The size of the turtle tank depends on the size of your home and the size of the turtle. A novice with 0 experience can buy a turtle tank of slightly better quality; if you can't keep turtles in it, you can still keep a few simple tropical fish at home, which is also quite nice. It is recommended that you buy the equipment in advance when keeping turtles; many people bring the equipment and the turtle home at the same time, so while the equipment is being disinfected and the water is being aged, the turtle can only be kept in a washbasin... That kind of environment is really too crude! It is best to disinfect the fish tank you bought with potassium permanganate; potassium permanganate is very cheap, basically just a yuan or so.
2. Finding a location. Turtles have the effect of extending life and bringing wealth, especially since many people like to keep fortune-bringing turtles (pig-nosed turtles). As for exactly where it should be placed, you need to ask someone who understands feng shui to look at it, but I personally do not recommend placing it in a spot with relatively abundant sunlight, because over time cleaning off the algae becomes a huge project.
3. Setting up the equipment and adding water for a test. Clean the equipment thoroughly and install it, then add water to the appropriate level; the water level is best kept close to the basking platform but must not cover it, otherwise placing the basking platform is completely pointless. The basking lamp should be positioned so that the light shines on the basking platform, but not too close, because turtles like the yellow-headed one really enjoy climbing up onto the basking platform to bask; otherwise, after basking a little too long they will get burned. Turn on the filter and the light. Domestic water generally passes through an oil filter; making the water move helps the chlorine in the water dissipate. If conditions permit, you can put the water in the sun for two days before using it. Turn on the heater. The water temperature is best controlled at around 25 degrees Celsius; if it is sick with pneumonia, a cold, or the like, raise it to around 30 degrees Celsius. I advise everyone not to put in too many landscape stones, ornaments, and such, because yellow-headed turtles are too active; the little ornaments I placed were all pushed around by it as toys. If you want to give it toys, do as you like.
4. When the turtle enters the water, observe it more. If it stays in one spot without moving, it may be adjusting to the environment; do not disturb it too much. Basically, after one or two days it will be familiar with the environment. Do not rush to feed it. Many friends like to feed their turtles, but the first 3 days are not suitable for feeding. Wait until the turtle has adapted to the environment before feeding. Do not feed too much at one time; it is best if it finishes eating within 10 minutes. If it does not finish, be sure to scoop the food out, because leaving it in the water will affect water quality and cause the turtle to get sick.
How Big Can a Yellow-Headed Side-Necked Turtle Grow
There are two most common kinds of yellow-headed side-necked turtle: the adult yellow-headed side-necked turtle can reach a maximum plastron length of 20 cm to 30 cm; the adult giant yellow-headed side-necked turtle has a plastron of 60 cm to 80 cm. Females can grow to more than 60 cm at most, while males are generally only half that.
Precautions for Keeping a Yellow-Headed Side-Necked Turtle
1. Water temperature. Because it is a tropical turtle, it is especially intolerant of cold. When the weather is cold, you may need to use a heater to warm the water. The water temperature for keeping a yellow-headed side-necked turtle is best above 30 degrees Celsius. At 30 degrees Celsius, the turtle's growth rate, recovery rate, and disease resistance are the strongest and fastest.
2. Water quality. The yellow-headed side-necked turtle also has certain requirements for water quality, so that the turtle's health can be ensured, it is less likely to get sick, and it can grow normally. Maintain good water quality, for example by changing the water regularly. In summer, change 1/5 or 1/4 of the water every 3 or 4 days; in winter, change it once every 6 or 7 days. The turtle will basically not get sick. As for cleaning the filter cotton, it is best to clean the first layer; the lower layers only need to be cleaned once a month.
3. Diet. In terms of food, the editor recommends using imported turtle food. There are also frozen bloodworms. The nutrients they contain are relatively comprehensive and sufficient, and can meet its needs. Although the yellow-headed side-necked turtle is herbivorous, if you always feed it vegetarian food, the nutrition will not be enough, which is a major obstacle to its coloration and growth.
4. Setting up a basking area. The yellow-headed side-necked turtle is not a fully aquatic turtle. It will have about 2 hours of basking time every day, so a basking platform must be set up; you can buy one online or DIY it. A basking lamp should also be set up, maintaining at least 2 hours or more of basking time every day. If conditions permit, it is best to ensure 12 hours of lamp time a day.
What Does a Yellow-Headed Side-Necked Turtle Eat
As for what the yellow-headed side-necked turtle eats, it actually eats quite a mixed diet, including turtle feed, aquatic plants, fruits, and so on. Sometimes it will also eat some small animals such as dead fish, and a small amount of green leafy vegetables, such as water spinach leaves, lettuce leaves, and so on. Overall, the yellow-headed side-necked turtle still mainly eats plant-based food, but it should still eat a wide variety so that the nutrition is more sufficient and malnutrition is avoided, which would affect the turtle's growth.
The yellow-headed side-necked turtle is a medium-to-large species. It especially likes sunbathing. Its eyes excrete excess salt from the body, so it often attracts some insects that land on its head to feed. Because it is very itchy, they will constantly use their front limbs to drive the insects away, or shake their heads to try to get rid of those insects. That scene looks very funny and cute, and I believe more people will come to love the yellow-headed side-necked turtle.