General Care Discussion :: Timid map turtle

[roudav24]

My Map turtle is incredibly shy. I am relitivly new to keeping turtles so my tank is bare except for a single layer bed of large gravel (too big to eat) and a standard basking platform with heating and basic filtration (better filter in the mail). I recently put in a basking platform made from rocks with shallow and dry areas which nearly killed both my map and my slider. I removed the whole lot but when the rocks were in He was alot happier. He gets a little freaked out. Does anyone have any suggestions for safer features that I could employ?

[Marcus.85]

Big chunks of driftwood, fake plants.. I noticed that turtles tend to hide in them when something freaks them out.
Edit: wait, you mean for a basking platform or for the tank in general in order for the map to feel comfier?

[LivLang730]

Hi! If your Slider wants a place to himself and your Map turtle wants a place to hide, try adding a metal PFC pipe. It's heavy and will stay in place. If you do happen to get one, cut a hole right on top in the middle so light shines in. When the light shines in, it can also count as a hiding and basking spot. Make it about 5 inches in diameter, or you can make it wider so both turtles can fit. When you clean the tank wash it, it will get dirty. And most definitely, wash it before you put it in!If you do decide to get one, trust me, your turtles will thank you.

[OxymoronFromMars]

Hey, I have a map turtle as well and a timid map turtle is not uncommon. Most map turtles are timid, infact it's their tempermant. Also, map turtles like to be completely out of the water when they're basking, so your basking area should'nt be in shallow water. Make sure the basking area isn't coarse rock but somewhat smooth and easy enough to walk (crawl in this case) on. Plus, Map turtles like warm weather, hatchlings 80ºF and 70ºF for adults.
In my map turtle tank I have several rocks standing up against each other, creating a lot os hiding places and a basking area. If you're going to use rock from your backyard, boil them in a pot and scrub to rid of the foreign bacteria. Some accessories also make the tank homier (if that's a word), such as fake plants (not live ones, they'll try to eat those), non-metallic cylinders, ect.
---
Hope this helps