Effect of dry versus wet bowl environment on pet turtles

Recently hatched, certified Salmonella-free, red-eared slider turtles (Pseudemys scripta elegans) were obtained from a commercial breeder. Half of the turtles were kept in a traditional wet-bowl environment, whereas the other half lived in individual dry-bowl environments, except for 30 minutes each day when they were immersed in water and were fed. Both groups were fed commercial turtle food. During the 26 weeks of the study, individual weight and general observations were recorded for each turtle. Neither Salmonella nor Arizona bacteria were recovered from the turtles, their food, or their bowen environments. Histologic observations were completed on organs of both groups. Turtles maintained in the dry-bowl environment ate poorly, were considerably less active and less developed histologically, and lost significantly more weight than those turtles living in the wet bowl environment. Neither the environment nor the feeding program were found to be satisfactory for prolonged household maintenance of pet turtles.