Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 7 spotted turtle eggs and 4 have hatched. What is the best way to get them eating and how long, I have baby turtle food and was hoping to start them on pellets. I'll post pics as soon as I can. also how many clutches can a adult female spotted lay a year? and what temps do you keep them at in the winter to get more clutches? thanks to whoever responds
Wayne

I would say that it'd be a couple of days b4 the hatchlings would start eating. I would maybe try small nightcrawlers or small insects and go from there. From what I've gathered with the info I've read on aquatic turtles, females can lay as many as 3 clutches a year. I would guess that if you kept their water temps around the lower 70s that they'd lay eggs but I'm not sure how many more clutched they would lay.

thanks for the help, all the babies have been eating turtle pellets, and small worms. also various small insects.
wayne

Give them a while. After they have absorbed the yolk sac, some hatchlings take a long time to begin feeding. Live foods can coax them into eating. Blood worms almost always work on spotteds. As far as how many clutches.....usually no more than 2, however I had a female who laid a clutch every 2 months.
Not all eggs were fertile but some were.

trying to sell/trade?

Email me if you want to talk, milkman13114@aol.com
wayne