The project I am working on is called “Which Type of Fish do Turtles Prefer to
Eat?” I chose this topic because I wanted to see if the size and color of the
fish really matter when it comes to the turtle’s eating. I also chose this
topic because of the fact that I always have greet colored fish left in the tank
after I feed my turtles. I am especially interested if the size of the fish
matters when the turtles are eating. I say this because when they are eating it
looks like they go after a particular type of fish it usually is the bigger fish
in the tank. But the main thing I really want to figure out is if it really
matters to the turtle. I want to know this because maybe turtles are like other
animals in that they might chose the food they eat or maybe they don’t care
what they eat. Materials The materials I used to conduct my project were very
simple. I used two turtles which were my own and I uses a thirty gallon tank to
house the turtles used goldfish as the food for my experiment. The goldfish I
used varied in size and color. Some of the fish were big and some were of medium
or small size. The color of the fish also varied. Some of the fish were orange,
white, red, or Gerry used a video camera to record the turtles section of fish.
I recorded the activity of the turtles when I was not there to watch them. Some
of the other things I used were a feeder to help me monitor what type of fish I
was feeding the turtles. Procedure The procedure I used was simple. Every day I
would put in different types of fish. One day I would put in big fish with a
orange color and the next day I would put in fish that were smaller and that
have a different color. I did this for three months. After each feeding period I
would record my results. Hypothesis I think that the turtles will eat the fish
according to their size. I feel that the big turtle will eat big fish and the
smaller turtle will eat the smaller fish. And for the color of the fish I think
that the turtles will choose the brighter colored fish because they are easier
to see and that the turtle may have an easier time distinguishing it as food
instead of a rock or log or something floating in the water. Results The results
I had were that the smaller turtle still ate the bigger fish and that the
turtles seemed to always eat the brighter colored fish first. Really I think
that the turtles really didn’t care what size e the fish was but what the
really cared about was the color of the fish. I say this because each time I fed
them there always seemed to be a lot of gray colored fish left over. The results
of my experiment somewhat correlated to my hypothesis in that the color of the
fish has an affect on what the turtle will eat. Conclusion The conclusion of my
experiment is that the turtles don’t really care about the size of the fish,
but the turtles really care about the color of the fish. I know this because
during my experiment the turtles seemed to favor the orange fish and the always
left the gray fish there. Even when there were only gray fish in the tank the
turtles still did not choose to eat them. So in conclusion of my experiment the
turtles don’t really care for size but the turtles really care about the color
of the fish. General Information Scientific classification Trachemys Scripta
Elegans. Common name Red-Eared Slider or Florida turtle. Geographic distribution
This native of the south of the United States is found in many places of the
world. It has been introduced by people who bought them as pets to later release
them in the wild when they decide they don't want to keep them anymore. This
represents a big problem. In southern Europe, for example, the red-eared slider
competes for survival against the costume of Europe who is now in danger of
extinction. Size It can grow up to 30 cms (11.8 inches). Longevity In the wild
it can live about 20 years, but in captivity some specimens have been reported
to live up to 40 years. Physical description It is dark green with yellow lines
and distinctive red patches at both sides of the head. Sliders can be
distinguished most easily by their rounded lower jaw (which is more squared off
in Pseudemys species). The toes on her rear legs are connected by a membrane
(like ducks), since they are aquatic animals. Gender identification Males have
longer claws in their front legs. The cloaca in females is located closer to the
carapace than in males. Red-eared Sliders (Chrysemys scripta) are found
throughout the United States east of the Rockies. The subspecies C. s. elegans
is the one most often sold in pet stores here and abroad. These fresh water
turtles spend much of their time in the warm waters of their native habitat.
While they are strong underwater swimmers, these sliders spend much of the
warmer hours of the day hauled out on logs or rocks (or, when very small, on
marsh weeds and other aquatic plants) basking in the sun. All of the sliders are
omnivores, eating both animal protein and vegetable/plant matter. Younger
turtles need up to 40% of their food from protein sources; adult turtles feed
more heavily on vegetation. In the wild they begin by eating tiny fish and
amphibian larva, water snails and a variety of plants growing in the water and
on land. It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four
inches in length (this is problematic for those species whose full adult size is
4" or less!). The ones sold legally will be at least four inches long from
the neck end of the carapace (top shell) to the tail end of the carapace. If
male, it will be somewhere between 2-4 years old and already sexually mature.
Wild females reach maturity later, between 5-7 years, and will then be over 5
inches in length; in captivity, females may reach maturity at about 3 1/2 years.
You will be able to tell male from females: males are smaller than females in
overall body size but have longer tails. As with all wild-caught reptiles, the
animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result,
they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections,
including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children.
Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of
time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the
appetite; many of these turtles will not eat when they are stressed or
frightened, and cannot eat when they are too cold. As soon as you can after you
take your turtle home, scoop up a fresh fecal sample and take it and your turtle
to a reptile veterinarian. While the feces is being tested, the vet will check
out your turtle for signs of nutritional deficiencies, topical bacterial or
fungal infections, beak overgrowth, respiratory and eye infections - all very
common in wild-caught animals (and in captive turtles who have not been provided
with the proper environment or diet). Make sure your turtle is given all the
medication prescribed by the vet. If you have trouble administering it yourself,
take your turtle back to the vet to have it done. If maintained at the proper
temperatures, fed a healthy varied diet and kept in a stress-free active
environment, your turtle may outlive you: some individuals have lived more than
100 years.