Red-eared turtle sizes by years, maximum adult size, height and weight depending on age

Adult red-eared turtles change from bright green carapace to olive or brownish yellow. A change in the shape of the shell is added to the new color, stretching in length to an oval. Such changes are explained by a change in the size of a growing organism.

Let’s figure out to what size the red-eared turtle grows at home, and consider the change in the size of its body over the years.

Key Features and Growth Factors

The gradual change in color of the turtle is associated with melanophore – a special cell containing pigments. With new centimeters, ingrowth of cells occurs, creating a peculiar and purely individual pattern on the plastron.

At home, the growth rate of a red-eared pet depends on:

1. Aquarium cleanliness. Aquatic reptiles that feed and defecate in one place quickly pollute the water. With illiterate care, the animal quickly falls ill, lags behind in development, or grows with deviations.
2. Diet balance. Redheads are predators, so they need a constant source of protein to eat well. Baby turtles need to be given special supplements rich in calcium.
3. Aquarium volume. In addition to cleanliness, it is important to ensure that there is enough space. 50l aquariums suitable for baby turtles should be changed to 100l as they grow older. If there are several pets, then the volume of water is increased by 1,5 times, taking into account each individual.

IMPORTANT! Red-eared turtles grow continuously up to 7-10 years. The most intensive growth is observed in the first 2 years, when the pet goes through a molt.

When all recommendations are followed, indoor red-eared turtles grow more rapidly than their wild relatives. Due to the absence of dangerous predators, unfavorable natural conditions and a constant source of food, not only the growth rate increases, but also life expectancy.

Maximum allowable indicators

The average size of an adult red-eared turtle over 7 years old is 17-32cm. The length of the shell depends on:

1. Pola. You can distinguish a male from a female at the age of 3, when the female representatives go into the lead in development. Despite the small size, the male has larger claws and an impressive tail.
2. age. The older the reptile, the larger parameters it can reach. If the male usually gets stuck on the figure of 18cm, then the female confidently reaches 30cm.
   

   IMPORTANT! After 18-20 cm, growth rates decrease, making it difficult to determine the exact age of a hand-held turtle.

3. Varieties. The maximum size of a turtle is determined by its subspecies: a. Cataspila – 22см; b. Elegans – 28см; c. Grayi – 60см; d. Hilton – 28 cm; e. Taylori – 22cm; f. Contour – 48cm; g. Written – 27cm; h. Chichiriviche – 33см; i. Emolli – 25см; j. Hartwegi – 22см; k. Ornate – 38cm; l. Troust – 21см; m. Yaquia – 31см.

IMPORTANT! For turtles with a shell length of less than 30 cm, width and height are not taken into account. When determining the size, the maximum segment between opposite parts of the shell is calculated, excluding errors due to the curvature of the carapace.

The maximum weight is observed in the female red-eared turtle, which is explained by its impressive parameters. The male weighs 2 or even 3 times less.

In order to weigh the pet, turn it upside down for stability. The measuring device can be an ordinary kitchen scale.

Change in size over the years

At 3 months old, turtles have modest parameters of about 2,5 cm. At 1 year old, their size is already 3-6 cm. Due to the same growth rate, it is impossible to determine the sex of red-eared turtles by the length of the shell in the first 2 years.

At about 3-4 years old, waterfowl reptiles become sexually mature. At this point, the length of the female’s shell is 12,5 cm, and the male’s is 10 cm. The carapace of the male becomes more concave, changes the shape of the nose and the shade of the eyes.

IMPORTANT! Over the years of a pet’s life, you can track its health, since growth and weight indicators change depending on age. Be sure to take the animal to the veterinarian if there is an overweight or underweight.

Consider the size of the red-eared turtle by year using the table *:

*Based on age of minimum vigorous growth. In this case, the pet grows in a certain proportion up to 7 years. After this age, the growth of the carapace and weight gain slow down, which complicates the subsequent calculation.

On average, the maximum weight of females is 3000g, and males – 1500g. The last intensive jump of more than 300g occurs at the interval of 6-7 years (the latest period of puberty. Further growth is individual. Annually, the turtle can gain from 35 to 80g. In females, this figure will always be higher.

IMPORTANT! If underweight, the reptile will be lethargic, and obesity can be recognized by a too large shell that stands out against the background of weak limbs.

In conclusion, we note that the maximum growth of the red-eared turtle at home reaches 30 cm (in rare cases, the indicator crosses this line, but only in certain species and when creating optimal conditions). Do not be fooled by sellers trying to sell a young turtle under the guise of a decorative one. Remember that it can grow to an impressive size by 3-4 years.

Video: how big does a red-eared turtle grow