African sideneck turtles (Pelusios casteneus), also known as West African mud turtles, are popular pets due to their hardiness and personable dispositions. These turtles are native to West African countries such as Angola, Guinea, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Congo. They inhabit rivers, lakes, and ponds during the wet season and bury themselves in the mud during the dry seasons.
These turtles got their common name because they're unable to tuck their heads entirely inside their shells, so they tuck them to the side instead.
They are relatively undemanding and make for great pets but can be curious almost to the point of aggressive. Depending on your local climate, African sidenecks can be kept indoors or outside.
Hereās everything you need to know to provide the best care for your African sideneck turtle.
How I Set Up A Perfect AFRICAN SIDE-NECK (Pelomedusidae )Turtle Aquarium
Understanding the African Side-Neck Turtle
Few turtles look as happy as the African sideneck turtle. They typically have a dark brown shell, olive to brown skin with black markings on their head, and a mouth that looks like a permanent smile.
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These turtles are named so because they are unable to tuck their heads entirely inside their shells, so they tuck them to the side instead.
African sidenecks are on the larger side as far as turtles go, and they can live for several decades. They are fairly unique in appearance and moderate in size, growing to an average of 7 to 12 inches. Their shell is often dark brown, and their skin ranges from olive to brown with black markings on the top of their head.
African sideneck turtles have large heads, smooth shells, semi-webbed feet, and two small, stubby barbels under the chin. Unlike many turtle species that have more serious reptilian features, the African sideneck has a face that can be described as cute, with a mouth that is fixed into a smiling shape and big round eyes.
When given proper care, African sideneck turtles can easily live for a few decades.
Behavior and Socialization
African sidenecks have longer necks than most other species of turtles. This gives them a distinct advantage over their fellow turtles: If they find themselves turned over on their shells, these turtles can right themselves using their neck muscles.
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You can socialize pet aquatic turtles with frequent interaction, and African sidenecks are no exception. They are inquisitive, cute turtles that are interesting to watch.
However, like other aquatic turtles, these animals aren't for handling. They're stressed very easily, and they might bite when provoked. Plus, they might carry salmonella bacteria, so it's important to wash your hands after handling anything in their environment.
Setting Up the Ideal Habitat
African side-necks are aquatic turtles, therefore, they need a large fish tank that will hold water. They are semi-aquatic reptiles, and spend most of their time in the water. This means that most of the enclosure should be water - in other words, youāll be essentially maintaining a pond or aquarium with an accessible land area.
Your turtle should be able to swim and dive in their tank so the larger the tank is the better. Ideally, you should have about a 75-gallon aquarium (or larger) that is half to three-quarters full of water. The minimum size reptile enclosure for housing one adult African sideneck turtle requires 90-110 gallons of water, no deeper than 1.5x the length of the turtle itself.
When choosing a turtle tank, wider is always better than taller. Remember, turtles donāt jump, they like to float, dive, and bask.
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If your local climate and housing situation allows, African sideneck turtles tend to do well when housed in an outdoor pond for at least part of the year.
Essential Components of the Habitat
- Water Filtration: For filtration, you will need a canister-style filter capable of handling at least 2x the amount of water in the enclosure. For example, if you have an aquarium or pond with 110 gallons of water, you will need a filter rated for at least 220 gallons of water.
- Routine Water Changes: You will also need to perform routine water changes. Once every 1-2 weeks, remove and replace approximately 30% of the enclosureās total water volume. As essential as filters are, periodically removing āoldā water and replacing it with ānewā water helps prevent toxic compounds from building up.
- Dry Land Area: Also, provide a dry land area using a floating dock or large rocks, so your turtle can climb out of the water to dry off. Provide a floating dock or large rocks that provide dry land and an area for your turtle to climb out of the water to dry off are also needed. The first thing youāll need to add to your aquarium is NOT optional: because African sideneck turtles are only semi-aquatic rather than fully-aquatic, you need to provide some ālandā for the turtle to bask on. Ideally, this should be enough space for the turtle to bask, walk around a bit, and burrow. However, if thatās not possible, you can use a simple turtle basking platform.
Temperature and Lighting
African sidenecks require supplemental heat from a heat lamp to maintain their body temperature. Heat lamps vary in wattage and should maintain an ambient temperature of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking temperature of around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
For African sideneck turtles, the basking area should be around 95Ā°F, and the water should stay under 85Ā°F, but no cooler than 70Ā°F. Juveniles may require higher water temperatures of 80-85Ā°F.
Lights are not just for warmth. Aquatic turtles like the African sideneck benefit from ultraviolet lights, too, particularly from UVB rays. These rays give turtles Vitamin D3 and can help them stay healthy.
African sidenecks also need UVB lighting to properly metabolize calcium. Keep a UVB-emitting lamp on the tank for around 12 hours per day to maintain a normal day-night cycle. These lights typically need to be around 10 to 12 inches away from where your turtle sits outside of the water, and the bulbs usually need to be replaced every six to nine months. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on your specific bulb.
Since African sideneck turtles are a day-active species, itās best practice to provide extra illumination via a strong LED or T5 HO 6500K daylight lamp. Lights should be on for 12 hours/day and turned off at night.
Remember, turtles donāt jump, they like to float, dive, and bask.
Substrate and DĆ©cor
Substrate is the material that lines the bottom of your turtleās aquarium. It can help to mimic the look and feel of the animal's natural environment. A substrate isnāt essential, and it will collect food and waste, requiring regular cleaning. But if you wish to use a substrate, many owners opt for sand or large pebbles.
For substrate, you can either use large pebbles/gravel (too big to swallow), or you can use nothing at all.
DĆ©cor is about more than just creating an attractive enclosure - itās also about boosting the enclosureās functionality. Whatever you choose to add, make sure to create at least a couple places where your turtle can hide from view.
Diet and Nutrition
Like most aquatic turtles, African sidenecks are omnivores. African sideneck turtles are omnivorous, which means that they need both plant- and animal-based foods in their diet to get the nutrition that they need.
They eat some plant material, as well as insects, fish, crustaceans, and aquatic turtle pellets. Turtle pellets should include the calcium and other vitamins and minerals that your turtle needs.
In the wild, African sidenecks are omnivores, munching without discretion on insects, plants, and fish that are native to its habitat. When it comes to feeding your African sideneck, variety is the key to success. No matter how much your turtle prefers a single food type, always feed it a variety to prevent it from developing a fixation.
Aside from variety, donāt overfeed your turtles! When theyāre young and growing, Insects and protein should make up the majority of your sideneck turtleās diet.
For meat proteins you can feed your sideneck earthworms, snails, clams, fish, aquatic insects, cooked chicken pieces, beef hearts, crustaceans, and maybe some small amphibians. As for the greenery, stick to nutrient-rich greens like spinach, romaine, and red-leaf lettuce (never iceberg).
Since sidenecks are aquatic turtles, they eat in their tanks and meals can become messy. To avoid frequent tank cleanings, simply remove your turtle from its tank and feed it in a separate container.
Health and Wellness
Like other cold-blooded creatures itās important to provide the proper lighting, heating, and dietary requirements. Otherwise, African sideneck turtles are extremely hardy creatures. That being said, itās a wise idea to have a reptile veterinarian on hand before you even bring your pet turtle home.
Common Health Issues
- Parasites: Aquatic turtles are often afflicted with parasites such as roundworms. These are tricky to treat, because the turtle may not show obvious symptoms. An exam by a reptile veterinarian is usually when parasitic infections are discovered.
- Vitamin A Deficiency: African side-neck turtles also are prone to vitamin A deficiency, which may have symptoms such as swelling and pus around the eyes.
- Respiratory Infections: Like most reptiles, African side-neck turtles are predisposed to respiratory infections. You may notice your turtle wheezing if it has a respiratory infection, or notice excess mucus around its nasal passages and mouth.
- Shell Rot: And shell rot, perhaps the most common illness to affect aquatic turtles, is also a concern for African side-necks.
All of these conditions should be treated by a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles.
Weigh your turtle regularly to monitor its weight.
Acquiring an African Sideneck Turtle
Visit a reputable breeder or rescue organization to acquire an African sideneck turtle. The seller should be able to tell you about the turtle's origin and health. Young turtles often cost between $50 and $100.
It makes no difference if your turtle cost $100 or $1,000 dollars, heāll be packed and shipped with the utmost care and expertise.
There are less expensive places to purchase turtles online, but itās a perfect example of you get what you pay for.
*This care sheet contains only very basic information. Although itās a good introduction, please further your research with high-quality sources.
