Mexican Red Wood Turtles - Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima incisa - Mexican Red Turtles

Rhinoclemmys pulcherrimaincisaor the Mexican Red Wood Turtle or the Honduras Wood turtle as it is locally known is one of the four species of tropical Wood Turtles native of the western coasts of Central America and Mexico from Costa Rica to Sonora. They grow to a carapace length of 8 inches and are popular pets. Their carapace is mostly brown with large patterns of yellow or red. The coloration gives them the name “Red turtle”. The carapace is non-serrated and slightly keeled. The Mexican red Wood turtle is perhaps the least showy of the four subspecies. Its carapace has a medial keel that runs across the length of its carapace. The scutes on the carapace are covered with red and yellow patterns and are highly grooved and engraved. The sculpted scutes are almost symmetrical. The plastron is usually yellow but might be slightly cream, beige or gold in some turtles. The plastron also features elaborate designs and colorations in black and red. The plastron is hinged at two points and even though it is smaller than the carapace it efficiently covers the underbelly of the Mexican Red Wood Turtle. The head throat and the rest of the body is brown with red patterns and stripes. There are light blue stripes behind the eyes. The Rhinoclemmyspulcherrimaincisais a very intelligent species and is not just and aquarium decoration but also a very good pet. They are not shy and are very adaptable and hardy and readily adjust to the situations at hand.

The Mexican Red Wood turtle Habitat

The Mexican Red Wood turtle is endemic to fresh water bodies with a profusion o aquatic plants and a dense forest landscape. They are highly terrestrial a prefer to spend most of their time outside water. They are natives to the tropical Areas of North America and Latin America and would prefer a similar simulated climate and environment in captivity too. I have mentioned it earlier that they are highly adaptable and hardy however they are more suited for tropical climate and keepers should take into account their comfort. A 60 gallon water tank is recommended for a single Mexican Red Wood Turtle. The water tank should be designed in the form of a terrarium such that a larger portion of it is land. The land-water ratio should be 60:40 0r 70:30. The water area should be deep enough to completely submerge the turtle and it should have enough volume to assist an occasional swim. Mostly they would be content with a little soaking and a few gulps of water. The temperature should be kept between 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Frequent misting is strongly advised.

The Mexican Red Wood Turtle Diet

The Mexican Red Wood Turtle is essentially omnivores and survives mostly on fruits vegetables and leafy vegetables. You can feed them hyacinth, romaine lettuce, cabbage, spinach, apples, chunks of banana and other fruits. They also like worms, tadpoles and snails. You can feed them chunks of meat and fish. A weekly dose of calcium supplements and vitamins is highly recommended.

The carapace should be checked at frequent intervals for signs of injury or infection and if any it should be treated properly.

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