Turtles: A Captive Environmental Study

The amount of research on the effects that a captive environment has on turtles (testudines) is far less extensive than those of other species, such as mammals and birds. This may be due to the fact that it is most commonly and falsely believed that reptiles are mentally undeveloped (Warwick, 1990). However, an environment can have an influence on a turtle. The aspects of a captive habitat that cause physical and behavioral impacts on turtles will be discussed. More specifically, environmental stressors will be examined.

Discussion

Turtles are a subspecies of the species reptile. According to Shine (2013), there are about 300 different types of turtles. The specific types of turtles focused on in this paper include the eastern box turtle

A captive environment can be enriched or sterile. An enriched environment is one that mimics a natural environment. A sterile environment has minimal furniture and does not represent a natural environment. Both a sterile and an enriched environment have advantages and disadvantages. For example, a sterile environment can be more easily cleaned and a turtle would be easier to capture when needed than in comparison to an enriched environment. However, an enriched environment can be better for a turtle’s physical and psychological health. The captive environment for a turtle is usually an aquarium, pond, or terrarium. There are many aspects of a captive environment that can effect a turtle physically and physiologically. Water temperature will be the first aspect of the environment that will be examined. In an artificial habitat, a water heater should be used to keep the water temperature at an average 75 degrees (Rosskopf & Shindo, 2003). Water quality is another important aspect of a captive environment. Filtration systems are necessary to provide water circulation and cleaner water. Dirty water can change the pH and nitrogen levels which may result in pathogens developing. These pathogens can cause bacterial diseases such as salmonella, septicemic cutaneous ulcerative disease (SCUD), ulcerative shell disease, and mycotic diseases (Johnson, 2004). A captive environment should provide a dry place for a turtle to bask under ultraviolet (UV) lighting. UV lighting is important to help with shell growth. Without correct lighting, a turtle’s shell can become misshapen and weak. UV light is important for a turtle’s metabolic processes. Turtles also require UV for synthesis of important vitamins such as vitamin D. Because turtles are ectothermic, they need the heat from UV lights to help regulate their temperature. The effects of improper temperature is discussed