Anthony Pierlioni that
Anthony Pierlioni that is in general recommended if you wish to propagate turtles. In this manner, the animals will not cause each other stress, and reproduction rates will typically be much improved. As far as Bog Turtles are concerned in particular, they are very aggressive amongst themselves, but they would also cause each other great stress even if they did not engage in biting fights all the time – the one or the other specimen would likely fall ill or even perish earlier or later. Diet Bog Turtles are omnivorous, which means they will take in both animal and vegetal foods. As a consequence, they should be offered both types of food in captivity. I feed them with snails, slugs, insect larvae, worms, koi pellets of premium quality, and crustaceans, added to which are duckweed, grated carrots, blueberries, dandelion and other wild herbs. A source of calcium must not be missing from their tanks and is made available in the shape of a cuttlefish shell that is left floating in the water. Their diet should in general be as varied as possible. Propagation Bog Turtles become sexually mature at an age of about four years in the male sex, and between the fifth and seventh year of life in females. I will unite the sexes in spring and again in autumn. It will be clear within seconds whether mating is to occur or not. If the female is not ready to mate, she will fend the male off with bites or flee. If she is ready, on the other hand, she will stretch all her legs and the tail so that the male can mount her. The latter will fall on his back during copulation and be kicked off by the female after several minutes. The sexes are once more separated following such an event. Some six to eight weeks later, the female will deposit one to four eggs in the layer of moss covering the terrestrial section. They are carefully recovered and incubated in vermiculite at a temperature fluctuating between 22 and 30 °C. This incubation regime will produce both sexes, but I suppose that the sexes of the progeny are determined by sex chromosomes in Glyptemys muhlenbergii anyway, as is the case in the sister species Glyptemys insculpta. The baby Bog Turtles hatch after about 70 days of incubation. They are kept just like the adults right from the start. Juveniles are highly susceptible to fungal infections for which reason the water quality must be monitored and maintained on the acidic side at all times. Hibernation Bog Turtles living in the wild will hibernate for four to six months. My philosophy of keeping them in a naturalistic manner thus entails their being overwintered accordingly if they are healthy adults. An exception is made for one- to two-year old juveniles that Fig. 6. A Bog Turtle hatching. 30 RADIATA 26 (2), 2017
Spotted Turtles Fig. 7. A Bog Turtle of a few weeks old. are overwintered for only one to two months. References Dunn, E. R. (1917): Reptile and amphibian collections from the North Carolina mountains, with especial reference to salamanders. Bull. Amer. Mus. Natur. Hist. 37: 593-634. Lovich J. E., C. H. Ernst, R. T. Zappalorti & D. W. Herman (1998): Geographic variation in growth and sexual size dimorphism of Bog Turtles (Clemmys muhlenbergii) Am. Midl. Nat. 139: 69-78. Ernst, C. H. & R. B. Bury (1977): Clemmys muhlenbergii. Catalog. Amer. Amphib. Rept. 204: 1-2. Ernst C. H. & J. E. Lovich (2009): Turtles of the United States and Canada, Second Edition, The Johns Hopkins University Press. Schoepff J. D. (1801): Historia Testudinum Iconibus Illustrata. [Teil 4]. J.J. Palm, Erlangae [=Erlangen]. xii + 136 S. Steijneger L. H. & T. Barbour (1917): A check list of North American amphibians and reptiles. Harvard Univ. Press. Cambridge, Mass. Author Robert A. T. Hentschel Soest, Germany E-mail: chrysemys@gmx.de Fig. 8. A Bog Turtle at the age of one year. RADIATA 26 (2), 2017 31
