Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is Tortula (Comes from Spanish Translation Tortuga and the name Tula) she's a common snapper and about 1/2 year to one year old.

Shes cute and she looks a little timid too. I'll bet she has alot of character when shes in her tank! There awesome when they're that size ~ Thanks, Leo
Skin & Scales

Yep she's slowing down cause of the weather change so I have to go and get a heater today. Thanks

Hi ~ hey I have no idea how long you've been keeping Common Snapping turtles but let me tell you in my own experience, snappers do alot better at room temperature (as opposed to a tank heater.) I had a female for 19 years and one day I decided to really hook her up, I bought a nice submersible heater along with other tank decorations and within three days, she was dead.
I don't know if maybe the heater brought bacteria levels up quick or what the deal was ~ or even if it was the heater at all, but I had her for 19 years without it and thats the only thing that I could figure would have played an effective role in it.
I was heart broken. Through alot of changes in my life, she was there, unchanged and always reminded me of easier times. I don't know. Just be careful I guess. As long as temps indoors are reasonable for you, they'll be reasonable for her. Thanks and good luck with her. Leo

Skin & Scales

That's interesting; just out of interest, where do you live and was that snapper wild caught? Because mine definetely needed some kind of difference and the only one I could think of was a submersible heater. She was lethargic, never defecated, etc. And I was reading another post and it seemed like that was the answer because my heat lamp seems to be very inneffective.
Perhaps you snapper died because she was used to the same temperature for such a long time that the fast change was just too much for her? However, this contradicts the fact that I kept mine outside and her temps would change drastically sometimes...
Mine is also younger so I'm afraid for her health that she might not make it past this winter. But with the heater now its seems perfect, she actually travels around the aquarium all day and now burries herself in gravel which I actually never expected her to do.

That's interesting; just out of interest, where do you live and was that snapper wild caught? Because mine definetely needed some kind of difference and the only one I could think of was a submersible heater. She was lethargic, never defecated, etc. And I was reading another post and it seemed like that was the answer because my heat lamp seems to be very inneffective.
Perhaps you snapper died because she was used to the same temperature for such a long time that the fast change was just too much for her? However, this contradicts the fact that I kept mine outside and her temps would change drastically sometimes...
Mine is also younger so I'm afraid for her health that she might not make it past this winter. But with the heater now its seems perfect, she actually travels around the aquarium all day and now burries herself in gravel which I actually never expected her to do.

I live in Massachusetts, specifically Cape-Cod. The Snapper was wild caught as a hatchling. I kept this turtle in aten gallon tank and occasionally outdoors in a childs wading pool through the summer. She was kept without a heat lamp or any additional lighting at all (aside from natural daylight (my reason being because snappers are nocturnal and they spend most of their time buried beneath mud or an over hanging bank under water.)
I guess the question to ask is, did the new heat emiter bring your turtle up to a good comfort level or is the turtle digging in the mud and being more active, to look for cooler water? If the turtle is taking food and sitting still alot, I would say things are fine, if shes not, then I would loose the heater.
I will write more later ~ thanks, Leo
Skin & Scales