Can Red-Eared Sliders Be Kept Dry? Understanding Dry-Keeping Precautions in One Article

The red-eared slider, scientific name Trachemys scripta elegans, is one of the subspecies of the pond slider in the family Emydidae. It is now kept by many households as a pet or ornamental animal, and is possibly the most widely kept reptile in the world. It is very convenient to keep. Let us take a look below at whether red-eared sliders can be kept dry!

Can Red-Eared Sliders Be Kept Dry?

Red-eared sliders can be kept dry. Generally, dry keeping is used when a turtle has a bacterial infection and can no longer soak in water; it is a method for dealing with bacterial infections, speeding up drug effectiveness and preventing spread. However, if the turtle's body is weak, be cautious or use semi-dry keeping (soak in clean water for a short while each day, then keep dry). If keeping dry, give scheduled soaks, at least 3 times a day for 30 minutes each time.

Dry Keeping or Wet Keeping for Red-Eared Sliders

Red-eared sliders are best not kept dry. The exception is when a red-eared slider has shell rot or cloudy eyes and must be kept dry, because the red-eared slider is an aquatic turtle and long-term dry keeping will cause it to dehydrate and die. In addition, red-eared sliders eat entirely in water. If you must keep it dry, sunken eyes mean severe dehydration, and dry keeping should be stopped immediately.

How Much Water Is Suitable for Red-Eared Sliders

1. Hatchlings: each hatchling needs 5 liters of water as activity space, and the water depth should not exceed the turtle's body length, so that its feet can touch the bottom when it surfaces to breathe. At the same time, you must make or buy a basking platform for them using bricks or stone slabs, so the turtle can bask its shell.

2. Adult turtles: to create an ideal environment, a pair of grown red-eared sliders needs at least 100 liters of water as activity space. A tank that is too small will quickly make red-eared sliders obese and sluggish, and if they fall into the water upside down, they will drown because they cannot turn over.