Turtles are docile animals and like to live in solitary. Unlike other common pet choices, turtles are not social animals and don’t like being held or touched for long. So what about turtles living in the same enclosure? It is possible to wonder if different turtle species can live amicably together.
It is possible to keep different turtle species together. However, this does not apply to all turtles as some species are more aggressive to others. Turtles with different preferences will live together better because there is less competition.
Before you put different turtle species together, you should establish if these species are known to co-exist nicely. Here are the turtle species that can live together and factors to consider when determining the turtle species to keep in the same aquarium or enclosure. We will also feature the advantages and disadvantages you face for keeping different turtle species in the same enclosure.
Turtle Species That Co-exist Together
While pet turtles are best kept alone, some species co-exist well as long as the habitat conditions are right. Most aquatic and terrestrial turtle species live together peacefully. Here are the turtle species that often co-exist in the same space allowing you to maximize space, save costs and cleaning time.
1. Bottom Dwelling Species
Bottom-dwelling turtle species include the musk turtles, such as the common musk turtles, and the mud turtle species, such as the Eastern mud turtle, also known as common mud turtle. Most of them scavenge at night and share various mannerisms. They live well in shallow waters and require hiding spots at the tank’s base.
These bottom dwellers inhabit a different space compared with the basking species. As such, these two turtle categories can be kept in the same aquarium with less hassle.
2. Basking Turtle Species
Some turtles bask frequently, and most of them are aquatic species. You will find them basking on protruding rocks, floating logs, or areas where the sunlight penetrates the forest. Some can bask for as long as 8 hours.
Such species require lots of basking space in their habitat. In the wild, it is common to see these turtles stacking on top of each other to bask irrespective of the species and size.
If you have a big enough aquarium and basking space, in that case, you can keep slider turtles species such as the red-eared slider, painted turtle species such as the eastern painted turtles, and river cooters in the same habitat.
A large enough space can also accommodate multiple basking turtles with a few bottom-dwelling species. For instance, you can pair a musk turtle with a map turtle or a mud turtle with a red-eared slider.
3. Turtle Species With Significant Differences In Lifestyle
Turtles that differ in lifestyle aspects such as their microhabitat preferences, scavenging habits, diet, and general life activities may be kept together. Niche is the term used to group turtles as per these aspects.
You can keep turtle species that share a niche together, e.g., red-eared sliders, painted turtle species, yellow-bellied sliders, and river cooters. However, they would need plenty of space to co-exist nicely.
Different niche turtles are easier to keep together. There is minimal competition for resources, and differences in niche minimize their interactions. Examples of turtle species in this category are the red-eared sliders and stinkpot turtles. While the red-eared sliders are aquatic and diurnal, the stinkpot species are nocturnal and aquatic scavengers.
Turtle Species That Don’t Co-exist With Other Species
Some turtle species do not accept other species in their space. They will bully the other turtle and might even bite it, causing severe wounds. Such turtles are often highly territorial. In addition, they are often species that grow big and exhibit predatory behavior.
Turtle species that can’t live with other species in the same tank include softshell turtle, alligator snapping, and common snapping turtles. Anything and everything in the enclosure appears like food to them, including their fellow turtles. These turtle species will attack the fellow turtles irrespective of their size and can even cause death.
Besides not being compatible with other turtle species, these turtles also don’t live well with other turtles of the same species. They exhibit aggressiveness even to others of their kind. It is even worse, especially if the turtles are male. Male to male aggression is more common in these species than female to female aggression.
It is also advisable to keep tortoises species in separate enclosures. Even though they have some common behaviors, they will compete for limited resources. It may stress the reptile and make the bigger ones start bullying, the smaller ones.
Should you opt to keep these turtles in the same enclosure, ensure that you have a barrier to create a territory between them. In addition, make sure that each turtle is left with enough space and has access to necessary resources such as the heat lamp and UV light.
Factors to Consider Before Putting Turtles of Different Species Together
Before putting different turtles in the same enclosure, there are several guiding factors to consider. They will help you know if both turtles will survive and thrive in the habitat you are providing. Here are the key considerations to think about before putting your turtles in the same tank.
1. Temperature Requirements
Turtles are cold-blooded. They require an external heat source in their habitat to regulate their body temperature. Their water also needs to be maintained at a particular temperature depending on the species.
Different turtles have different basking and water temperature requirements. As such, it is an essential factor to keep in mind. Otherwise, you might provide ideal warmth for one species but too hot or too cold for another. A turtle will struggle to survive in a habitat that does not meet its body requirements. The too high or too low temperature might make the turtle stressed and even sick.
Ensure that the temperature needs of the turtles you intend to keep in the same enclosure are similar. Species such as the cooters, map turtles, musk turtles, sliders, and painted turtle species have closely related temperature needs. As such, they can easily live together.
2. Care Requirements
Turtles of the same species have similar care requirements even though there might be minimal variations if one is a juvenile and the other is an adult. Their feeding needs will be similar, only differing in frequency and quantities.
Before putting different turtle species in the same enclosure, check to verify that they have similar care needs. Besides temperature, care includes the kind of food you provide, the length of basking hours, and the provision of accessories such as gravel.
3. Tank Size
Turtles are solitary and territorial animals. They prefer to have their own space to themselves. Before you put the turtles in the same enclosure, consider the size of the tank. It not only applies to turtles of different species but even those of the same species.
In general, you should have 10 gallons for each length of the turtle shell. For multiple turtles in the same enclosure, you need to consider each turtle’s minimum size requirement and purchase the total requirement. Doing so ensures that each has enough space for swimming and resting. It also reduces territorial issues which contribute to bullying and aggression.
If the turtles are juvenile, consider the enclosure space they will require as adults. It is more cost-effective to buy a big tank that will effectively meet the turtle’s even when they mature.
Besides the tank capacity, depth is also an important consideration. It should be ideal for all turtle species in the particular enclosure. In essence, the tank height should be deeper than the length of the turtle’s carapace. However, bottom-dwelling turtle species do not thrive in deep waters, so you should also consider this.
4. Size of Basking Spot
Turtles need to bask, but they dislike sharing a cramped basking spot. When the basking spot is too small, one turtle might bully the other, preventing it from basking. The turtle that faces bullying might get scared and avoid basking leading to health problems and declining quality of life.
Ensure that you have a big enough basking dock to accommodate both turtles comfortably. Alternatively, you may provide the turtles with different basking spots, even though this might mean that you will purchase multiple heat lamps.
If you cannot provide this, you should not keep multiple turtles in the same enclosure. You will be jeopardizing the health and overall life quality of the turtles. It is better to have one happy turtle than multiple stressed and unhealthy ones.
5. Ability to Provide Ideal Health Care
Keeping different turtle species together increases the risk of transferring illnesses and parasitic infections from one species to another. If one turtle is ill, it will most likely infect the other. It would be best to ensure that you could provide the turtles wil proper health care before acquiring multiple species.
When you bring in a new turtle species, quarantine it for a few weeks before adding it to the tank with the other turtles. You should also look out for signs such as swollen eyes, which often indicate an underlying health problem.
It is important to take your turtle for a medical examination before bringing it home and putting it together with another turtle. The vet will verify that the turtle is in a good state of health, thus reducing the chances of disease infections.
Can you afford this? If you can’t, it might be best to pause your plans of keeping different or the same multiple turtle species together.
Advantages of Keeping Different Turtle Species Together
There are several benefits of rearing different turtles in the same enclosure. It would be best to observe proper measures to prevent and combat aggressiveness. Here are the pros of raising different turtle species in the same tank.
1. Reduces Expenses
A turtle tank setup is expensive. Besides the cost of the tank itself, you will incur expenses such as basking lamp, basking rock, ramp, substrate, UV light source, filtration system and filters, and toys. The cost of these items is about $ 500 – $ 1,000, depending on the quality and brand you purchase.
Keeping multiple turtles in the same enclosure means that you will not incur these costs twice. As such, it saves you some of these expenditures to keep them together.
2. Effective Time Management
Turtle tanks require frequent cleaning to ensure that hygiene remains optimal. You also need to replace the water frequently to prevent the water from stinking and your turtles from getting sick from poor hygiene.
Having your turtles in the same tanks means not cleaning multiple aquariums. It saves your time and energy by reducing the amount of cleaning you need. It also saves you the amount you spend on cleaning resources such as cleaning gloves.
Disadvantages of Keeping Different Turtle Species Together
Even though there are benefits that accrue from having turtles in the same tank, there is also a downside. Here are the cons of keeping different turtle species in the same tank.
1. Aggression
Aggression is common even in turtles of the same species. It sometimes occurs due to hunger, stress, fighting for a mate, territories, or social dominance. This is more common among turtles of different species than is common turtles of the same species.
Fights in turtles can lead to severe damage to the point of death. Turtles can bite each other when aggressive, causing severe bites and deep wounds that require immediate medical attention. Extreme aggression can make one turtle eat the other. If you notice fights or bullying in your turtles, you should separate them immediately.
In case you don’t have a spare tank, you may use a tank barrier to keep the turtles apart.
2. Sickness
Even when turtles of different species co-exist in the same enclosure, it still poses a health hazard. If you get your turtles from various sources, one might be ill. Being in the same space puts the turtles at risk of infecting each other.
It is best to quarantine a turtle before mixing it with the others. In addition, separate the turtles when you notice signs of illness such as lethargy, not basking, and loss of appetite in one turtle.
Turtles can be expensive to treat. In addition, they take longer to heal because they have a slow metabolism. It is best to prevent the danger of illnesses, where possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Keep Fish and Turtles Together?
Yes, it is possible to keep fish and turtles together. However, there are important considerations to keep in mind, such as tank size, feeding them, hiding spots, reliable filtration system, etc.
The most compatible turtle species with fish are the red-eared sliders, western painted, pink belly side neck, and mud turtle species. As for fish, the most compatible with turtles are those with sharp brains, swift movement, and slender bodies. They include the Koi fish, neon treats, and yellow cichlids. Avoid goldfish as it is poisonous.
Which Turtle Species Can I Keep Together?
You can keep the same species of turtles, such as the red-eared sliders, mud turtles, and painted turtles species, in the same tank. It is best to keep them together as the same sex and close age to reduce the risk of aggression.
As for different turtle species, go for turtles with different niches or a mixture of a bottom dweller and a basking turtle. They have fewer items to compete for, thus promoting effective co-existence.
Keep species such as the snapping turtles alone; they are aggressive even towards their species. Therefore, your other turtle will be more at risk of bites and bullying if you put it together with these territorial and predatory species.
Are Pet Turtles Aggressive?
In general, most turtle species are not aggressive. They only become aggressive under certain circumstances, such as fighting for a mate, fighting over territories in a small tank, extremely hungry, or showing dominance.
Some species, such as the alligator snapping and common snapping, are more aggressive than others. Such species do not make a good choice for beginner pet turtle owners. They require advanced skills in turtle keeping as they can even bite you. A snapping turtle bite is powerful enough to cut off the human finger.
Conclusion
It is possible to keep different turtle species together. However, it is a decision that needs care and research. While some species are compatible, others cant co-exist even with their fellow turtles.
Before making this crucial decision, consider the care needs, temperature requirements, tank size, and basking area size, among other factors. If you cannot provide ample resources and habitat for the turtles, it is best not to keep them together. Doing so will only increase the risk of aggression, which may be fatal in severe cases.
We trust that you are now knowledgeable of all you need to know about keeping different turtle species in the same enclosure. If you notice the slightest sign of aggression, immediately separate the turtles.