Mississippi Map Turtle Pet Care: Proper Housing, Food, and Daily Care Tips

Hey there, friend! Are you thinking about getting a Mississippi Map turtle? Well, I’m so glad you’re here! Let me tell you all about these amazing turtles and how to take care of them.

Not everyone wants a dog or cat as a pet. Some of us like pets that are calm and quiet. If that sounds like you, then a Mississippi Map turtle might be perfect! These turtles like to do their own thing and don’t need lots of hugs and cuddles.

But wait! Before you run out to get one, I need to tell you something important. Taking care of these turtles is not easy. It takes time, money, and lots of work. Don’t worry though – I’m going to teach you everything you need to know!

Let’s start learning about Mississippi Map turtle care together!

Table of Contents

What Is a Mississippi Map Turtle?

Before we talk about care, let me tell you some fun facts about these cool turtles!

Basic Information:

Real Science Name: Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni
What We Call Them: Mississippi Map Turtle
How Big They Get: Girl turtles grow to 6-10 inches. Boy turtles are smaller at 3.5-5 inches.
How Long They Live: 15-20 years (that’s a long time!)
What They Eat: Bugs, fish, and plants from the water
Where They Live in Nature: Near big rivers like the Mississippi River in states like Texas, Louisiana, and many others up north
How They Act: They get scared easily and girl turtles can be bossy
Baby Turtles: Mama turtles lay about 10-12 eggs at a time, and they do this 2-3 times each year!
Can You Keep Them: Yes, but check your state’s rules first
Are They Endangered: No, they are doing okay in nature

Mississippi Map Turtle Pet Care: Proper Housing, Food, and Daily Care Tips

Are Mississippi Map Turtles Easy to Take Care Of?

I’m going to be honest with you – no, they are not easy to take care of. These turtles need a lot of your time and your money.

Many people think turtles are easy pets. They think, “Oh, it’s just a turtle! How hard can it be?” But friend, I have to tell you the truth. Taking care of a Mississippi Map turtle is hard work!

These turtles live in water most of the time. So you need a big tank full of clean water. But that’s not all! The water has to be the right temperature. It has to be clean all the time. And your turtle needs good air to breathe.

Feeding them is tricky too. They need to eat lots of protein like fish and bugs. But they also need to eat their vegetables! You have to be careful not to feed them fatty fish. And you have to balance everything just right.

Here’s something else – girl turtles are bigger than boy turtles. So girl turtles need more food. They have bigger mouths and eat more than boys do.

So here’s what I think: If you’ve never had a turtle before, maybe start with an easier turtle first. But if you’ve taken care of turtles before and you know what you’re doing, then yes! A Mississippi Map turtle could be great for you!

How Do I Take Care of a Mississippi Map Turtle?

Okay, now I’m going to teach you all the important things about taking care of your turtle. Pay close attention because this is the good stuff!

The Tank – Your Turtle’s Home

The size of your tank depends on if you have a boy turtle or a girl turtle.

For Boy Turtles: Boy turtles are smaller, so they need a smaller tank. A grown-up boy turtle needs at least 75 gallons of water. But I think bigger is better! If you can get a 90-gallon tank, that would make your turtle very happy.

The tank should be at least one foot tall. Don’t worry too much about height though. Turtles can’t climb up walls like some other animals can.

For Girl Turtles: Girl turtles are much bigger, so they need much more space. Your tank should be at least 125 gallons. That’s a really big tank! It should be about 72 inches long. That’s as long as a grown-up person is tall!

What Goes on the Bottom of the Tank?

Good news! You don’t really need to put anything on the bottom of your turtle’s tank. But if you want to make it look pretty, you can add some things.

You can use big rocks or medium-sized gravel. Broken coral works too! These look nice and are safe for your turtle.

But listen carefully – don’t use sand or mud! And here’s why: Mississippi Map turtles are curious. They like to taste things with their mouth. If they eat sand or mud, they could choke! Or they might get very sick.

So when you pick things for the bottom of the tank, make sure they are too big for your turtle to swallow. Safety first, friend!

Lights for Your Turtle

Turtles need special lights just like we need the sun!

If your turtle lives outside, you don’t need extra lights. The sun gives them everything they need. But most of us keep our turtles inside our homes. So inside turtles need special lights.

UVB Lights: These are very important! You need to get a special reptile UVB bulb. Turn it on for 12 hours every day. This helps your turtle stay healthy and strong.

Here’s a tip: You need to change this bulb every six months. I know it still looks like it’s working, but the special UVB rays stop working even when we can still see the light. Mark your calendar so you remember!

Heat Lamps: Your turtle also needs a heat lamp. This keeps them warm and cozy.

The Right Temperature

Temperature is super important for turtles! Let me tell you exactly what you need:

Water Temperature: The water should be between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. To keep the water this warm, you need a special heater that goes in the water. I like using titanium aquarium heaters because they work really well.

Basking Spot Temperature: Your turtle needs a warm, dry spot to sit and warm up. This area should be about 95 degrees. You can use a ceramic heat emitter to make this spot nice and warm.

Here’s my advice: Get a thermostat to control the heat and a thermometer to check the temperature. This way, you always know if things are just right!

Food – What Does Your Turtle Eat?

Feeding time! This is one of my favorite topics because there are so many things your turtle can eat.

Mississippi Map turtles eat both meat and plants. In the wild, they eat whatever they can find in the water. But when they live with us, we have to feed them the right foods.

The Main Food – Pellets: Most of your turtle’s food should be special turtle pellets you buy from the store. These pellets have all the vitamins and minerals your turtle needs.

Meat Foods Your Turtle Can Eat:

Small feeder fish
Crayfish
Crickets
Krill
Mealworms
Bloodworms
Earthworms
Shrimp
Snails
Minnows
Beetles
Insects

Plant Foods Your Turtle Can Eat:

Romaine lettuce
Parsley
Water plants like duckweed
Waterweed
Algae
Water lilies
Squash
Zucchini
Kale
Turnip greens
Dandelion greens
Collard greens

Fruits (Just a Little Bit!):

Apple
Banana
Strawberry
Raspberry
Pears
Melons
Grapes
Peaches
Kiwi
Papaya

Vitamins: Sometimes you need to give your turtle extra vitamins. Calcium and Vitamin D3 are very important for keeping their shell hard and strong.

How Often to Feed:

Baby turtles: Feed them once every day
Adult turtles: Feed them 4-5 times each week

Don’t feed them too much! If turtles eat too much food, they get fat. Fat turtles don’t live as long as healthy turtles. So be careful!

Health Problems to Watch For

Even when we take good care of our turtles, sometimes they get sick. Here are some problems you might see:

Common Health Issues:

Tummy parasites
Skin infections
Shell infections
Ear infections
Problems from dirty water

How to Keep Your Turtle Healthy: You need to clean your turtle’s shell and skin with a soft toothbrush. This stops algae from growing on them. I do this gently so I don’t hurt my turtle.

Sometimes their beak and nails grow too long. If they can’t wear them down by themselves, you might need to trim them. But be very careful! If you’re not sure how to do this, ask a vet who knows about turtles.

Make sure your tank has good UVB lighting. Without it, your turtle can get metabolic bone disease. This makes their bones and shell soft and weak. We don’t want that!

Are Mississippi Map Turtles Easy to Take Care Of?

How Do Mississippi Map Turtles Act?

Let me tell you about their personality! These turtles are shy and get scared easily. But they’re also really nice turtles. They almost never bite people!

Living with Other Turtles: These turtles can live with other turtles pretty well. But here’s what you need to know:

Boy turtles can be mean to girl turtles sometimes. They might chase them around or bother them. This stresses out the girl turtles.

Girl turtles can be bossy with other girl turtles. They like to be in charge! If you have too many girl turtles together, they might fight about who’s the boss.

My advice: If you want to keep more than one turtle, be careful about how many boys and girls you have. Watch them to make sure everyone is getting along.

Keeping the Tank Clean

This is so important! Your turtle lives in the water most of the time. If the water is dirty, your turtle will get sick.

Mississippi Map turtles eat a lot of meat. This makes the water dirty really fast. You need a really good, powerful filter to keep the water clean.

Cleaning Schedule:

Check the filter every two weeks
Clean the whole tank every three months

Water Changes: When you add new water to the tank, you have to treat it first! Tap water has chlorine in it. Chlorine is bad for turtles and bad for the good bacteria in your filter. So use a water treatment to remove the chlorine before you put the water in the tank.

Does Your Turtle Need a Basking Area?

Yes! This is very important!

Your turtle can’t swim all day long. It needs a dry place to get out of the water and warm up under the heat lamp. We call this a basking area.

What Is Basking? Basking is when your turtle sits in a warm spot and dries off. This helps them in many ways:

It dries their shell so they don’t get fungus
It warms up their body
It helps them digest their food
It keeps them healthy

What Can You Use? You can buy a basking platform from the store. Or you can make your own! Here are some things you can use:

Smooth plastic
Foam
Ceramic tiles
Logs
Metal sheets

Make sure whatever you use is smooth so your turtle doesn’t get hurt. And it needs to be strong enough to hold your turtle’s weight!

Can You Keep a Mississippi Map Turtle as a Pet?

Yes, you can! But I want to make sure you know what you’re getting into.

These turtles are nervous and get stressed easily. They jump when they hear loud noises. They hide when people walk by too fast. Taking care of them takes a lot of work.

They need:

A big, clean tank
The right temperature in the water and air
Good food every day
Clean water all the time
Quiet space where they feel safe

If you’re new to turtles, I think you should start with an easier turtle first. Learn how to take care of turtles with a less picky kind. Then, when you have more experience, you can get a Mississippi Map turtle.

But if you’ve had turtles before and you know what to do, then go for it! These turtles are really cool once you know how to care for them!

Can Mississippi Map Turtles Live with Other Pets?

This is a good question! The answer is mostly no.

Mississippi Map turtles can live with other turtles (if you’re careful about the boy/girl thing I talked about earlier). But they should not be around other kinds of pets.

Why Not? Remember how I said these turtles get scared easily? Well, imagine how they feel when a dog runs by and barks! Or when a cat jumps on top of their tank!

Dogs and cats are too loud and too energetic for these nervous turtles. The turtles will get so stressed out. Stress makes turtles sick.

So my advice: Keep your turtle tank in a quiet room away from your other pets. Your turtle will be much happier this way!

Can You Keep Just One Turtle? You might think keeping just one turtle is easier. But turtles can get lonely and bored! If you can, try to keep at least two turtles together. Just watch them to make sure they get along.

Important Things I Want You to Remember

Okay friend, we’ve talked about a lot! Let me remind you of the most important things:

Tank Size Matters: Boys need at least 75 gallons. Girls need at least 125 gallons.
Clean Water Is Everything: Get a powerful filter and clean it regularly. Dirty water makes sick turtles.
Temperature Control: Water should be 70-75°F. Basking spot should be 95°F.
UVB Lights Are Not Optional: Your turtle needs these special lights for 12 hours every day. Change the bulbs every six months.
Feed a Balanced Diet: Pellets, meat, and vegetables. Don’t forget the calcium!
Don’t Overfeed: Baby turtles eat once a day. Adult turtles eat 4-5 times a week.
Give Them a Basking Spot: They need a dry place to warm up.
Keep Things Quiet: These turtles are shy and nervous. Keep them away from loud pets.
Watch for Health Problems: Clean their shell, check for infections, and take them to a reptile vet if something seems wrong.
Be Patient: These turtles take time to trust you. Don’t rush them!

My Final Thoughts

I’m so happy you read all the way to the end! That shows me you really care about doing this right.

Taking care of a Mississippi Map turtle is a big responsibility. These turtles can live 15-20 years! That’s a really long time. You’ll have this turtle for many years, maybe even when you’re much older!

But if you’re ready for the challenge, these turtles are amazing pets. Watching them swim is so peaceful. Seeing them bask under their lamp is adorable. And knowing you’re giving them a good home feels wonderful.

So here’s my advice: If you’re new to turtles, start with an easier kind first. Get some experience. Learn what turtles need. Then later, you can get your Mississippi Map turtle.

But if you already know about turtles and you’re ready for a challenge, then go for it! Just remember everything I taught you today.

Keep that tank clean. Keep the water the right temperature. Feed them good food. Give them light and a basking spot. And be patient with them.

If you do all these things, your Mississippi Map turtle will be healthy and happy for many, many years!

Do you have any questions about anything I talked about? Feel free to ask! I want to help you be the best turtle owner you can be!

Good luck with your new turtle friend!