How To Care For A Pig-Nosed Turtle

By Johnny Bravo

About Pig-Nosed Turtles

The Pig-Nosed Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), also called the Fly River Turtle, is definitely an unusual turtle as the name might suggest.

They get their descriptive name since their nose resembles that of a pig. It is a long fleshy snout with two substantial nostrils.

Comparable to marine turtles they possess flippers, that is certainly unlike most aquatic turtles which have webbed claws.

They’re also colored differently than the majority of their brethren, often having a light gray or olive shell color.

A male is best distinguished from a female by comparing their tails, since male pig-nosed turtles have larger tails with the hole located towards the tip.

Pig-nosed turtles can turn out to be large, some times to as much as 50 lbs along with a length of 22 inches.

Because of this, they’re not regarded as very good pets.

For people who are experienced in raising turtles, and who may have pig-nosed turtles or are thinking of getting one, our recommendation is that that you do not house any other turtle species within the same enclosure.

This turtle species is known as extremely aggressive so when in captivity, it is especially vital that you keep a minimal population density in its enclosure. You’ll need to maintain individual hiding spots for each turtle if you opt to contain more than one.

Where Can Pig-Nosed Turtles Be Seen?

Pig-nosed turtles are exclusively found in northern Australia, southern Irian Jaya and southern New Guinea.

Their regular surroundings include ponds, streams, estuaries, lagoons, pools, and swamps. Generally speaking, they prefer to inhabit waterways having an average depth of about 6 feet near heavily forested areas.

They are commonly located in the Fly River (hence the pseudo name) in southern New Guinea and the Faly River in northern Australia.

In captivity, pig-nosed turtles have to have large ponds or pools to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Since they are exclusively aquatic turtles, there is no need for a basking area. The one time a dry area is necessary is for nesting females. Clutches of pig-nosed turtle eggs typically number between 7 and 39 eggs.

So What Can Pig-Nosed Turtles Eat?

Pig-nosed turtles are generally omnivorous turtles so they prefer a steady diet of animals and plants. Typically though they like more plants than animals.

In The Wild:

In the wild the pig-nosed turtle’s natural diet includes:

Aquatic Plants, Fruits, Leaves, Crustaceans, Insects, Molluscs, etc.

In The Home:

Again, pig-nosed turtles are not encouraged as pets unless you are a truly experienced turtle keeper.

In captivity this turtle species enjoys a stable diet of:

Fish, Small Shrimp, Bananas, Figs, Apples, Kiwi, Insects, Aquatic Plans, Worms, etc.

Like the majority of aquatic turtles, pig-nosed turtles are healthy when fed around three times per week.

What To Avoid When Feeding pig-nosed turtles

As with any pet, you want to make sure that your pig-nosed turtle is as healthy as is possible. Furthermore you should make certain your household is just as healthy as it can be at the same time.

Here are a few helpful suggestions to balance the both of best worlds.

No Deep Fried Foods: Avoid giving your turtle any sort of fried foods. No fried potatoes, donuts, onion rings, etc.

No Sugary Foods: No candy, chocolate, or some other form of sugary foods. Not only is it unhealthy for your turtle, these kinds of foods tend to be hard and can pose a choking hazard to your little friend.

No Dairy Foods: Including milk, cheese, butter, etc. Turtles lack the necessary enzymes to properly digest lactose.

No Sharing Foods: Avoid sharing meals or snacks with your turtle. Many turtles, like most aquatic animals, carry salmonella bacteria. Salmonella doesn’t affect them like it does humans.

No Kissing: No seriously, don’t kiss your turtle. Though they are very cute while they are young or small, they carry salmonella and the last thing you want is to become sick from your own turtle.

No Dirty Hands: When you handle your turtle make sure you wash both hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap.

And there it is. What do turtles eat you may well ask? For pig-nosed turtles now you have the Do’s and Don’ts of a happy healthy turtle. Like most pets, red eared sliders make excellent companions when taken care of properly.

Next you be able to find out more about turtles by visiting this site

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Topics: Reptiles | Comments Off

Tags: aquatic turtles, natural habitat, pet feeding, pet food, pet supplies, Pets, Reptiles, turtle food, Turtles

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