Turtles, UV and supplements

[Sdaji]

The topic of turtles and UV comes up from time to time, I know of a fair few which have been kept without it and have been pictures of health, but today I came across the best example yet.

I was visiting a friend of mine and asked about the turtle which has been at his work for as long as I've known him, without UV. To my surprise, I learned that the turtle had been obtained 30 years earlier as a hatchling, along with one sibling. The guy who obtained the turtles left his job a few years ago and my friend inherited them. He doesn't like reptiles or know much about them, so he just continued to look after them in the exact same way; no heating, no UV, no supplements, a diet of mostly mealworms with occasional pieces of meat or chicken. One of them lived to 28 years of age, the other is currently 30 and going strong!

These things have lived in a laboratory with absolutely no form of UV or supplements and a staple diet of mealworms. I wouldn't recommend duplicating the husbandry, but it does say something about their requirements, how necessary UV is and that mealworms aren't as bad as people usually say.

[Hix]

What happened to the sibling?



Hix

[instar]

The Surviver ate it ? ......... Thats not the wisest peice of info you've ever posted Sdaji ! It hardly encourages good husbandry of turtles, sounds too easy for a person new to turtle keeping. Cant wait to hear about your other mates turtle that lived in a bucket of toilet water for 20 years and ate smarties! :roll:

[expansa1]

That's probably why the turtle that died only lived to about a third of it's life expectancy!!

Expansa1

I dont think Sdaji was posting to tell people to change their ways. He (in my understanding) is just trying to dispell the myths about the necessity of uv and how people think its the be all and end all in requirements.

As i said, thats just how i interpreted it.

[instar]

Indeed Sherm, he was, never the less tone is everything. The tone of that was saying, 28/30 years is great, and virtually non existant husbandry and a crook diet is fine. Its like saying, Grandad smoked 3 cigars every day of his life , And he lived to be 43 !!!
Its an old argument, with good points both sides, but casebook accounts like this, used as a means to show how little care herps need, sends the wrong message imo. I too am of opinion that uva/uvb lighting, if the herps get natural light/sun is a waste of time and money that could be better spent on diet and housing, and suppliments, if the diet is natural and varied, are neither here nor there, however, if your willing to use them, they certainly wont hurt.
Surely we want to encourage the best possible care of any captive, without making out its rocket science, nor going to the other extreme.

[peterescue]

Jeez Sdaji, It says something about how they survive on the minimum.
Did they autopsie the one that died? I think you would find that it had a thin shell, brittle or soft bones, unhealthy organs and that it died well short of its considered life expectancy.
it just shows an ignorance of the life expectancy of turtles and what healthy actually is.
None of you would put up with it if we were talking lizards or snakes.
This sort of misrepresentation of information really upsets me.

[marty]

Not knowin' a thing about turtles, is 30 years not a fair innings???????? whats the expected life span of the little tackers??

[instar]

depends on species, Eln (eastern long necks) have been recorded at 90 years! 30 years could be considered middle age for Emyduras, That about right Craig ? Either way they live a long time! Alot longer than most realise and certainly alot longer with the best possible diet, care and conditions!

[marty]

WOW so gettin' in to turtles is what you call a looooooong term investment

[instar]

Definately!, My kids love ours, im hoping they will take over their care when im shipped off to Sunny Acres! With the best possible care, My grandkids may end up turtle keepers!

Tortises (which we cant have ) live even longer, Harriet a Galapagos ? at Australia Zoo, is 185 years i think! LOng Term commitment!

[hugsta]

I suppose it is like feeding yourself rice for your entire life with the odd bit of meat thrown in for a bit of a treat......not good IMO.

As for UV, many of the repercussions are produced in the young, with them eventually being born deformed due to lack of calcium etc from the female when laying eggs. The adults may be OK now, but if you keep back the hatchies you will slowly notice them getting worse and worse. UV is vital IMO for certain species. I supply all my animals with UV and I think there is no reason why ppl can't. After all, sunlight is free.......

[dugadugabowbow]

Sounds like the cheapskates keeping guide, how hard is it to setup reptiles and feed them properly? Unless your trying to save a few dollars then it very easy which IMO shouldn't come into consideration when keeping any animal. If you can't afford to do it properly then don't do it or at least don't rush it and wait until your setup.

[ashley_morris22]

this is one for myth busters on SBS

[Sdaji]

I wouldn't recommend duplicating the husbandry