Housing Density and Growth in Juvenile Red-Eared Turtles

Abstract

Growth rates in juvenile turtles relate strongly to their health and welfare, both in the wild and in captivity. Newly hatched turtles in the wild are subject to such high levels of predation that, in some cases, as few as I % survive their first year of life. Juvenile turtles in captivity succumb more quickly to the effects of poor housing conditions and poor diets than do older adults. In both the wild and in captivity, turtles who grow quickly during their first year of life stand a better chance of survival to adulthood. Part of a long-term project to analyze the growth of juvenile turtles under laboratory conditions, this article seeks to develop a protocol for the successful maintenance of turtles in captivity by defining variables that affect health and survival. This article presents the findings of a study to determine whether variations in housing density affect the growth of juvenile red-eared turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans).