ASIAN BOX TURTLE
Cuora amboinensis


Asian Box Turtles are native to the marshes, swamps, ponds and rice paddies of Southeast Asia. They are mainly aquatic but like to bask and dry off in the sun.



Maximum size: 8”



Lighting: Full spectrum fluorescent UV bulbs and a basking light are required.



Temperature range: 75° –88F°



Food: Their diet consists of feeder fish, snails, crickets, and earthworms. Specialized pelted foods for carnivorous aquatic turtles are also a good choice. Fruits and vegetables should also be offered occasionally. Cuttlebones can be utilized by the turtles for calcium.



Water: Clean dechlorinated water with a depth of 3- 5” is required.



Housing/Habitat: An aquarium with sand substrate and a submersible heater to provide the proper temperature. Landscape to provide basking and drying areas for the turtle. A good filter will keep the water clean and decrease the frequency of required water changes.

Golden Greek Tortoise

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/tiberagoldengreekcare.htm

Star Tortoise

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Geleganscare.htm

Redfoots/Cherry heads
Yellowfoot Tortoise

http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/mayumi/REDFOOT_CARE.htm

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/redfootcare.htm

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Gdenticulatacare.htm


Hermann Tortoise

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/hermannstortoisecare.htm

Leopard Tortoise

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/pardaliscare.htm

North american box turtle

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Terrapenecare.htm

RUSSIAN TORTOISE
Testudo horsfieldii


These tortoises are native to Southeastern Russia through Eastern Iran, Northwest Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It is a burrow dweller native to dry, barren, rocky deserts and dry forests. In these arid regions it is often found near springs or brooks where grasses and vegetation can be found. The tortoises retreat to their burrows to escape the summer heat. It is the only testudo with four claws on each foot, with Four- toed tortoise being one of its many common names.



Maximum size: 9”



Life span: Can reach extreme ages in captivity, some recorded at over 100 years.



Temperature range: Day 70°-85° F Night 55°-65° F



Lighting: When housed indoors, florescent UVB bulbs and a basking light are required.



Food: Diet should consist of a variety of dark leafy greens, squash, and corn. Use a high quality calcium and multi-vitamin supplement daily. Fruits should be offered sparingly as excess sugar can cause digestive problems.



Water: A large bowl of fresh, clean water should be provided daily.



Housing/Habitat: Tortoises do best if housed outdoors allowing them to receive natural sunlight. They must be housed in a secure pen, as they are very good diggers and climbers. A wire mesh pen set several inches into the ground, works best. The bottom of the pen should be covered with enough soft sand and orchid or cypress bark to facilitate digging and burrowing. Shelter from damp or rainy conditions must be provided. The tortoise should be moved to a dry indoor terrarium in prolonged spells of cold, wet weather. Tortoises can be housed indoors in a dry terrarium with the same substrate as outdoors and the addition of proper lighting.

AFRICAN SIDENECK TURTLE
Pelusios subniger


African Sideneck Turtles are hardy, primarily aquatic turtles found in the marshes, streams and ponds of Eastern Africa.



Maximum size: 8”



Lighting: Full spectrum fluorescent UV bulbs and a basking light are required.



Temperature range: 78°F –82F° with a basking area of 85°F



Food: Their diet consists of live fish, snails, crayfish, crickets, earthworms, aquatic plants and dark leafy greens. Specialized pelleted foods for omnivorous aquatic turtles are also a good choice.



Water: Clean dechlorinated water with a depth of 5-8” is required. Maintaining a pH of 6.5 will simulate their natural habitat. This can be done by adding peat moss to the vivarium or through the use of pH buffers.



Housing/Habitat: An aquarium with sand or gravel substrate and a submersible heater to provide the proper temperature. Landscape to provide basking and drying areas for the turtle. A good filter is necessary to keep the water clean and decrease the frequency of required water changes.

African sideneck- Pelomedusidae and Podocnemididae forums

This is an awesome site. Check it out.


http://www.pelusios.com/

LEAF TURTLE
Cyclemys dentata


Asian Leaf Turtles are hardy primarily aquatic turtles native to Southeast Asia where they inhabit the cool mountain streams.



Maximum size: 9”



Lighting: Full spectrum fluorescent UV bulbs and a basking light are required.



Temperature range: 68°F –74F° with a basking area of 85°F



Food: Their diet consists of live fish, snails, crayfish, crickets, earthworms, aquatic plants and dark leafy greens. Specialized pelleted foods for omnivorous aquatic turtles are also a good choice.



Water: Clean dechlorinated water with a depth of 3- 5” is required.



Housing/Habitat: An aquarium with sand or gravel substrate and a submersible heater to provide the proper temperature. Landscape to provide basking and drying areas for the turtle. A good filter is necessary to keep the water clean and decrease the frequency of required water changes. Being native to clear mountain streams, it is especially important to keep these turtles in clean water to prevent infections.

18 year old Reeve Female

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This care sheet is intended only to cover the general care of this species. Continued research in order to best develop a maintenance plan for whichever species you are caring for is essential.



In this author's opinion by far the best turtle for a beginner is a captive born Reeve’s turtle. Incredibly easy to tame and very personable, they are the golden retriever of the aquatic turtle set. The species originates in China, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong. In the wild its habitat is shallow wetlands and the land that immediately surrounds them. The diminutive Reeve’s turtle has a carapace that can range from black to a tan color with three distinct keels that smooth out somewhat as it ages. It also sports broken yellow lines on the head and neck. The skin exhibits the same range of colors as the carapace. Adult Reeve’s turtles typically reach a maximum of 12 cm (5 inches) but area variants have been known to reach 30 cm (12 inches) in length.



As it is one of the easiest species to breed, it is possible to purchase these turtles from captive born stock. I would strongly suggest that one not purchase a wild caught Reeve’s turtle. While captive born stock is very hardy, the stress of capture, handling, containment with other species and the shipping of wild caught Reeve’s and Asian species in general leads to a severely debilitated animal that tends to be in need of immediate veterinary care. This care sheet will deal primarily with hatchling care, as that is the most critical stage of their lives as well as the age that they are most likely to be purchased.



HOUSING REEVE’S TURTLES INDOORS – Reeve’s turtles are more accurately termed a “semi-aquatic”. In the wild they tend to spend a fair amount of time on land much as Central American Wood turtles do. Hatchlings though, are almost totally aquatic, leaving the water primarily to bask. As they age they become progressively more terrestrial but are never found far from water. In captivity they are generally treated as an aquatic species and adapt well to aquarium management. The most useful form of indoor accommodation for hatchling Chinemys reevesii consists of a shallow aquarium or plastic sweaterbox. While they are at home in water they are fairly poor swimmers, I would suggest a water depth of 2 inches (5 cm) or less to allow them to “stand” on the bottom and reach the surface to breathe without difficulty. If this type of arrangement is used an area should be built up in one end of the habitat to provide a dry basking area. In this arrangement, because of the shallowness of the water, filtration is difficult and uneaten food can be missed and rapidly foul the water.



As an alternative to this what I use for Reeve’s, for all other hatchling semi-aquatics and most aquatic species is an undecorated “slant tank”. A sweaterbox measuring about 24 inches by 16 inches (60 cm by 40 cm) is propped up on one end to provide a slanted bottom, resulting in a water depth at the lowest end of 2 inches (5 cm) and a dry area at the shallow end. As this is undecorated it is easily cleaned on a frequent basis. The addition of live or plastic water plants add to the sense of security for the animals and in the case of live plants may provide an additional food source. As the animal grows the size of this habitat and depth of water should be increased.



At 6 cm (2.5 inches) or so, Reeve’s turtles can be moved out of this arrangement and into a proper aquarium. A reasonable size aquarium for a Reeve’s turtle of this size is a 20 gallon: 75 cm by 30 cm (30 inches by 12 inches). As the animal grows the size of this habitat should be increased. A water depth of 20 cm up to 40 cm (8 inches to 16 inches) would be fine for turtles between 6 cm (2.5 inches) and the typical adult size of 12.5 cm (5 inches).



Water quality is very important. Because of the shallowness of the water in a “slant tank” filtration may not be practical. In this event frequent water changes are a must. For adult Reeve's turtles we advise canister filters as they are easily cleaned and provide for excellent water quality. Many problems with aquatic turtles can be adverted if one spends a little time and money designing and purchasing an adequate filtration system for your pets.



Reeve’s turtles are often seen basking on logs or rocks in nature. To provide a basking site in an artificial setup a hardware store reflector clip light lamp should be positioned over the dry end of the environment. This should be positioned at a height to provide a basking spot of 90 degrees F or so (32 degrees C) in that section of the habitat. The habitat should also be equipped with a full spectrum fluorescent light to provide for UVB. A UVB source is necessary for Vitamin D3 syntheses (needed in calcium metabolism). If preferred to this lighting arrangement a Mercury vapor bulb may be used that fulfills all requirements.



DIET. Reeve’s turtle hatchlings take rapidly take to many offered foods. Be careful not to overfeed them, I recommend only feeding once every day or every other day for the rapidly growing hatchlings. Hatchling Reeve’s turtles are very carnivorous and will eagerly consume insects and worms and thawed frozen fish but will also consume some greens. Any aquatic vegetation such as duckweed will also be appreciated. As they age they tend to take a higher percentage of vegetation. Many of the commercially prepared turtle diets as well as Koi or Catfish foods that exist on the market today are excellent hatchling Reeve’s turtle food.



Additional calcium supplementation is essential. Powdered calcium can be sprinkled all foods. It is suggested that one use calcium supplemented with vitamin D3 if the animal is being maintained indoors and calcium without D3 if it is outdoors. Provision of a cuttlefish bone, which can be gnawed if desired, is also recommended. Addition of multivitamins if a commercially prepared turtle diet is NOT used is essential for proper fat metabolism. The freezing process for fish destroys the vitamin E, which is an important component for maintaining a healthy Reeve’s turtle.


OUTDOOR HOUSING – Once your turtle is over 3 inches (7.5 cm) in size predator-proof outdoor habitats offer many advantages over indoor accommodations and should seriously be considered as an option. A child’s wading pool sunk into the ground in a secure enclosure makes for a serviceable outdoor habitat. Larger ponds with advanced filtration can be used to provide a spectacular outdoor home for your Reeve’s turtles.



There is some indication that in certain areas Reeve’s turtles hibernate, I would not suggest attempting this without knowing precisely the point of origin for the ancestors of your turtle.



It should be noted that turtle and tortoise care research is ongoing. As new information becomes available we share this on the World Chelonian Trust web site at www.chelonia.org. Serious keepers find it to be a benefit to have the support of others who keep these species. Care is discussed in our free online email community, which may be joined from the web address above. Please contact us about the many benefits of becoming a member of the World Chelonian Trust.

this info can be found in the link above as well it was found there

http://www.chelonia.org/care.htm
A verry informitive site, which offers Caresheets an A gallery to help in Identification of turtles . Their Caresheets are straight forward an don't beat around the bush when it comes to the animals in question

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http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheets.htm
a awsome site to find information on varrious species of turtles From Turtles to Tortoise's and even Terrapins.

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http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/turtles/
Western New York Herp Society Care sheets - These are the care sheets that they themselves use for their own Turtles & Tortoise's

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http://www.tortoise.org/general/watcare.html
Information on General Care of Us Water Turtles.

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http://www.petstation.com/waturtl.htm
Anouther Site that lists some general care info on Water Turtles of all kinds gives information on Housing, Temperatures an Feeding

Here are some links to some good care info on various tortoise species.


http://www.tortoisetrust.org/care/care.html

http://www.chelonia.org/care.htm

http://www.tortoise.org/general/descare.html - General Care of the Desert Tortoise

http://www.geocities.com/carolinatortoises/caresheets.html

http://www.slowcoach.org.uk/slocare.html

Common Name: African Helmeted Turtle
Scientific Name: Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
Family: Pelomedusidae
Order: Testudines
Class: Reptilia

Physical Characteristics:

The African Helmeted Turtle is a relatively small turtle with a shell length of 15-18 cm (6 to 7) as an adult. The shell is very thin, oval shaped, and brown to olive in color. The head is brown to olive colored and may be mottled with darker or lighter tones. The tops of the tail and limbs are a grayish brown, while the underside is yellowish. The male turtle is distinguished by its long, thick tail. Females tend to have a shorter tail and a broader carapace. Hatchlings have a shell size of about 30mm ( 1 ) in length, and are olive to black in color.

Distribution and Habitat:

Pelomedusa subrufa is found throughout Africa, as far west as Ghana, and south all the way to the Cape of Africa. It has also been recorded in parts of Madagascar, and is undistinguishable from those in east Africa. Pelomedusa subrufa has a subspecies olivacea, found in northern Africa ranging from Ethiopia westward to Nigeria and the Cameroons. They are semi-aquatic animals, living in marshes, creeks and rain holes. During the dry season, they will bury themselves in the bottoms of mud pools and estivate until the next rainy season, where they travel from mud hole to mud hole, distributing themselves widely.

Behavior:

When eating and courting, the relatively small African Helmeted Turtle becomes quite aggressive. During feeding, it will seize its prey in its mouth and tear it to shreds with its forefoot claws. Where populations are dense, and competition for food becomes heightened, several turtles may attack larger prey together, and drag it underwater before tearing it apart. The African Helmeted Turtle often basks midday in temperate climates where the sun is not too not. When captured, helmeted turtles will emit an offensive musky odor, but soon tame and are kept well in captivity or as pets.

Diet:

It has a carnivorous diet, feeding on a variety of insects, small crustaceans, fish, earthworms and snails. In large groups they will drown and eat small aquatic birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Reproduction and Growth:

In spring, during courtship, the male will follow the female and extend his head touching her hindquarters and vent. If she is non-responsive he will nip and snap at her legs and tail. After mounting her carapace, he extends his head over hers swaying it in front of her face while expelling water from his nose.

The female will lay 13 to 16 eggs on average, normally during late spring and early summer. The eggs are covered with slime when laid, and placed in a flask shaped nest that is about 10 to 17 cm (approximately 4 - 7) deep. The eggs hatch in 75- 90 days.

Snapping Turtle

http://tortoisetrust.org/articles/snappers.htm