Mixing species?

hingeback

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I'm not sure where to put this thread but since mixing species should be avoided for tortoises, what about turtles? For example a box turtle with a RES or something... Thanks
 

ZEROPILOT

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I'm not sure where to put this thread but since mixing species should be avoided for tortoises, what about turtles? For example a box turtle with a RES or something... Thanks
A box turtle is a land dweller and a red eared slider is mostly aquatic. Not the best example. However, I think the same rule would apply.
maybe if they were turtles that live side by side in the wild like a painted turtle and a river cooter. I'm just not sure.
There is a pond on my property up north and a lot of different species live together. I think that given enough room, it would work out.
 

hingeback

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A box turtle is a land dweller and a red eared slider is mostly aquatic. Not the best example. However, I think the same rule would apply.
maybe if they were turtles that live side by side in the wild like a painted turtle and a river cooter. I'm just not sure.
There is a pond on my property up north and a lot of different species live together. I think that given enough room, it would work out.
Thanks, just wondering.
 

dmmj

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box turtles in red ear sliders can live together cuz they coexist in the wild. it takes a little bit of work to design a right habitat for them but it can be done. I had been contemplating designing a habitat for both red ear sliders & box turtles but I scrapped it and decided just to keep them separate personal choice.
 

Markw84

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I mix turtle species, but I only keep N American turtles all from the same type temperate climate area. In the wild, turtles mix all the time and you can see aggregates of many different types of turtles basking together especially in the Southeast where there are so many different species in the same geographic area. I have no problem mixing the basking turtles - map, painted, cooter, slider, western pond. Mud and musk would do fine, but musk like to nip tails of the others, so I limit that in a smaller environment. My 10,000 gal pond area is a secure 2000 sq ft with almost 1/2 land, and two distinct pond areas - one shallower. So I have different habitat areas. The shallower pond designed specifically around what spotted turtles like as I maintain a large colony of those. So the entire pond area has 10 different species of N American turtles. They have all done great together - the oldest one I got as a hatchling in 1984 - now a 17" Suwanee Cooter. Also keep fish with them. Koi, High Fin Shark, Minnow, Bluegill, Guppies. Actually a pretty stable ecosystem.
 

Eggtort

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There are some that you can possibly mix and others you cannot. It's safe to assume no. Because a lot of turtles (water ones) have very specialized requirements. For example: you might assume that you could keep a yellow-belly and a spotted together since they are both water. However, one enjoys swimming in deep waters while the other one needs shallow water to survive and not drown! So if you must mix them, make sure your habitat is large enough so that it can accommodate all variations needed to properly thrive.
 

Redfoot NERD

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have always defined "mixing" as those from different CONTINENTS etc. - where the 'bugs' are different! [ not a science-head so don't know the term ] - and it should be obvious not to mix extreme sizes/temperaments!


I mix turtle species, but I only keep N American turtles all from the same type temperate climate area. In the wild, turtles mix all the time and you can see aggregates of many different types of turtles basking together especially in the Southeast where there are so many different species in the same geographic area. I have no problem mixing the basking turtles - map, painted, cooter, slider, western pond. Mud and musk would do fine, but musk like to nip tails of the others, so I limit that in a smaller environment. My 10,000 gal pond area is a secure 2000 sq ft with almost 1/2 land, and two distinct pond areas - one shallower. So I have different habitat areas. The shallower pond designed specifically around what spotted turtles like as I maintain a large colony of those. So the entire pond area has 10 different species of N American turtles. They have all done great together - the oldest one I got as a hatchling in 1984 - now a 17" Suwanee Cooter. Also keep fish with them. Koi, High Fin Shark, Minnow, Bluegill, Guppies. Actually a pretty stable ecosystem.

Of course when you have "deep-pockets" and ample energy.. you can create what Mark has created!!! :cool:
 

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