About Baby Turtles

 

Very small baby turtles are called “hatchlings”. Hatchlings can be smaller than a quarter, and are usually a lighter color than older turtles.   

Coming Out Of The Egg

If a baby turtle is coming out of the shell, and you only see the front feet, you can *gently* remove the shell from the front of the baby’s face. This can help prevent drowning in the egg.   
 

When a hatchling first comes out of its shell, it will have something called an “egg tooth” on the front of its nose. This is a sharp (usually white) spike that helps it to break out of the shell, and it will fall off soon. 

The Yolk Sac

A freshly hatched baby turtle will also have a big red lump attached to its belly. This is the yolk sac.   

DO NOT try to remove the yolk sac! It must naturally absorb into the baby’s stomach with time. If it falls off too soon or is removed, air and water will get into the small opening in the baby’s bottom shell, and the baby will die. Let the yolk sac shrink down naturally. 

The baby will remain in the egg for several hours, or up to 2 days, before absorbing enough of the yolk sac to emerge. It will then promptly bury itself to finish absorb the yolk. They should then be placed in another container inside the incubator to avoid them disturbing any unhatched eggs. They can be introduced to very shallow water as soon as the yolk sac is almost completely healed. They should accept food within 5 to 6 days of absorbing the yolk.   

Habitat

After the baby has absorbed its yolk sac and is accepting food, it should be kept in a habitat very much like an adult turtle’s habitat-- clean, conditioned/dechlorinated water at least 75 to 80 degrees F, and heated UV-lit basking area of 80 to 85 degrees F.  This will greatly increase their chances of survival.  

Feeding

Feed baby turtles every day, in *dechlorinated* water (a separate container from the tank). Be sure the water is kept as warm as their tank water. Turtles usually will not eat or digest in cold water. 

Be sure their food is small enough for them to eat. If they cannot get it in their mouth, they will starve. You can find "baby" or "hatchling" varieties of turtle food in pet stores, or online. If the pet stores are out of baby turtle food, you can break or crush regular turtle food into smaller pieces.

Another reason for feeding them in a separate tank, is because turtles eat, pee, and poop at the same time! Funny, but true. And their leftover food and waste dissolve into the water. So feeding them in a different container will keep the tank water clean, much longer.  

Turtles need water to be able to eat, because they don't produce saliva. So always feed them in water. 

Just a pinch of food at first, once a day. Hatchling food is best, because it is much smaller and easier for them to bite. If their food is too big to bite, they could starve.  Usually less than half a teaspoon, or the amount that would fit inside their head. 

Be careful not to over feed. This can cause deformities and they can become overweight. Since turtles live in their shell, being overweight is dangerous. The excess fat can crowd their organs and lungs.

Please do not try to feed them human junk food. As they age, you may be able to offer them occasional vegetation as a treat (leafy greens, fruit). But especially while they are babies, they really need the proper nutrition of the specially formulated turtle food. But of course, even as adults, junk food like candy, chips, etc., is very bad for them.

It is up to you to control their diet. Baby turtles are not as in tune with their appetite as adults, and may over eat. Or behave like they are very hungry, when they have already eaten plenty. So you will have to monitor how much they eat at this time.    

  

Handling Baby Turtles 

Please try to touch/handle your turtle as little as possible. Basically, only when you are feeding and cleaning, or for medical treatment. They are adorable, yes, but they are not kittens. A turtle's brain actually does not have the section that needs, understands, or processes affection (not like mammals do). So even if they act like they want you to play with them or touch them, or they come over to you-- they probably just want food. 

Try to treat your turtle like a fish-- it stays in the tank, and you mostly observe it in the habitat. 

But when/if you do have to handle a baby or adult turtle, first and foremost, wash your hands before you touch them, or anything in their tank. Nasty bacteria can grow in their habitat, if you have any dirt, food or germs on your hands. Also, any lotion or other products you might have on your hands can get on their shell, or in their water, and make them sick. 

For babies, it is best to hold them by placing your fingers on their back and your thumb on their belly, or vise-versa. This is so they cannot kick their feet against your skin, and knock themselves out of your hands onto the floor. Be very gentle, of course, since they are babies. Slow movements, because they can get traumatized or overly frightened from fast or rough movements. 

You will notice that baby turtle shells are softer than adults. This is another reason to be gentle. Handling them too much can cause them to suffer poor health. 

Since turtles can harbor salmonella, you should always wash your hands well, before and after handling them. Never put a turtle near or face, or near/in your mouth. You could get very sick, too. 

Temperatures And Basking Light

Baby turtles in particular need to be kept warm. Their water should remain at a constant temperature of 75 to 80 degrees, F. Their basking area should be 80 to 85 degrees, F.  

What Is Basking And Why Do Turtles Do It?

Basking is when a an aquatic turtle climbs out of the water onto land, a rock, a log, or a basking doc, and sits under the sun or UV heat lamp for a while. They do this for a couple of reasons:

1. To absorb the warmth and nutrients from the sun.

2. To dry off completely from time to time, which helps prevent shell rot and other health problems. 

In other words, turtles NEED to bask, for health reasons. Baby turtles are even more sensitive to temperatures that are too warm or too cold than adults, and because they are so small, the consequences of bad temperatures can hit them faster and harder.  

When turtles bask, they will usually stretch out their neck and feet, to absorb maximum heat and nutrients. 

Funny Things Turtles Do

Sometimes turtles can get greedy, and climb on top of each other while basking, to steal all the warmth and nutrients for themselves. Basically using other turtles like stepping stones, and playing "King Of The Mountain" on each other's backs. 

Water Quality

To prevent disease, especially a baby turtle's water especially should be kept VERY clean. Try not to allow any cloudy or murky colors to develop in the tank. Always make sure their water is dechlorinated with the proper ratio of dechlorinator. Also, a very good filter is an absolute must. Turtles dirty up their water very quickly.