Mississippi Map Turtle

1 Overview

The Mississippi Map Turtle is the most common and cheapest of the map turtles. Juveniles are coloured like the red-eared slider, so they are usually sold together and at a similar price; people love them.

Chinese Name: Mississippi Map Turtle

Binomial: Graptemys kohnii

Distribution: the Mississippi River basin of central to southern USA.

Adult size: males 4-6 in; females 7-10 in.

Diet: in the wild they eat snails, clams, insects, insect larvae, crayfish, carrion and a little plant matter.

Habitat: rivers, lakes, ponds and oxbow lakes with soft bottoms.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Genus: Graptemys

2 Physical Characteristics

Males 3.5-5 in (8.9-12.7 cm); females 6-10 in (15.2-25.4 cm). The carapace is olive to brown with dark-brown keels and interconnected ring patterns. The plastron is yellow-green with patterns of dark lines that are extremely variable and intricate. Behind the eye is a crescent-shaped yellow marking, and neck stripes are blocked from reaching the eye. The chin has round spots. The white eyes are prominent with black pupils. Males have elongated claws on the front feet.

3 General Care

It is a very easy pet turtle; many keep it as an entry-level water turtle — a small water box and a box of small pellets is enough, very convenient.

It is essentially the same as a flower turtle, Chinese pond turtle or red-eared slider — a water turtle; as the name says, eating and living happen in water, so water must not be lacking. The water level must be above the heater so the heater is never exposed (or it may explode). Put some stones or a basking dock in the tank so it can climb out to breathe and avoid drowning in deep water. After using a heater, cover the tank mouth with a lid, glass or plastic film to keep the water and air temperatures close and avoid harmful temperature differences.

Winter water changes need care: unplug the heater first, wait 10 minutes before removing it. Put the turtle in a box with tank water, cover with cloth for warmth. Then change water, replace the heater, and once temperature rises return the turtle.

4 Captive Habitat

It asks very little of its environment; some thrive in small glass tanks, while careful keepers build a better setup with controlled water quality and stocking density.

It loves to bask, so provide a basking spot with a UVB tube and a heat bulb above it. If the water is too cool, use a submersible heater. They are strong swimmers, so keep the water fairly deep.

For a single adult, a male needs at least a 40-gallon tank (55+ better), a female at least 90 gallons (100+ better), to give enough swimming room and let the filter keep water clean. For each extra male add at least 20 gallons, each extra female at least 40 gallons.

5 Feeding

Its keeping method resembles the red-eared slider, and food choices are similar. In the juvenile stage offer pellets, gradually adding some meat for complete nutrition — but watch water quality then.

Adults about three times a week, hatchlings once a day. It has keen sight and smell and grabs food well. In captivity it favours animal food — fish, pork, organs, clams, snails and bloodworms (midge larvae), red worms (tubifex), mealworms and fly larvae; food must have no spines or bones to avoid injury.

Best is fresh raw meat; cooked meat hardens and turtles dislike hard food. It loves shrimp most. Adult or old individuals in extreme hunger may eat vegetable leaves, rice or soft fruit, but rarely; hatchlings are essentially meat-only. It feeds day or night with no preference; when starving it scrambles for food and may eat the smaller ones. It defecates easily after a water change or feeding, so keep the water clean.