FREE ESSAY ON "WHICH TYPE OF FISH DO TURTLES PREFER TO EAT?"

"WHICH TYPE OF FISH DO TURTLES PREFER TO EAT?"

Introduction
The project I am working on is called "Which Type of Fish do Turtles
Prefer to Eat?" I chose this topic because I wanted to see if the size and color of
the fish really matter when it comes to the turtle's eating. I also chose this topic
because of the fact that I always have greet colored fish left in the tank after I feed
my turtles.
I am especially interested if the size of the fish matters when the turtles
are eating. I say this because when they are eating it looks like they go after a
particular type of fish it usually is the bigger fish in the tank. But the main thing I
really want to figure out is if it really matters to the turtle. I want to know this
because maybe turtles are like other animals in that they might chose the food they
eat or maybe they don't care what they eat.
Materials
The materials I used to conduct my project were very simple. I used
two turtles which were my own and I uses a thirty gallon tank to house the turtles
used goldfish as the food for my experiment. The goldfish I used varied in size and
color. Some of the fish were big and some were of medium or small size. The
color of the fish also varied. Some of the fish were orange, white, red, or Gerry
used a video camera to record the turtles section of fish. I recorded the activity of
the turtles when I was not there to watch them. 
Some of the other things I used were a feeder to help me monitor what
type of fish I was feeding the turtles. 
Procedure
The procedure I used was simple. Every day I would put in different types of fish.
One day I would put in big fish with a orange color and the next day I would put in
fish that were smaller and that have a different color. I did this for three months. 
After each feeding period I would record my results.
Hypothesis
I think that the turtles will eat the fish according to their size. I feel that
the big turtle will eat big fish and the smaller turtle will eat the smaller fish. And
for
the color of the fish I think that the turtles will choose the brighter colored fish
because they are easier to see and that the turtle may have an easier time
distinguishing it as food instead of a rock or log or something floating in the water.
Results
The results I had were that the smaller turtle still ate the bigger fish and
that the turtles seemed to always eat the brighter colored fish first. Really I think
that the turtles really didn't care what size e the fish was but what the really cared
about was the color of the fish. I say this because each time I fed them there
always seemed to be a lot of gray colored fish left over. The results of my
experiment somewhat correlated to my hypothesis in that the color of the fish has
an affect on what the turtle will eat.
Conclusion
The conclusion of my experiment is that the turtles don't really care
about the size of the fish, but the turtles really care about the color of the fish. I
know this because during my experiment the turtles seemed to favor the orange
fish and the always left the gray fish there. Even when there were only gray fish in
the tank the turtles still did not choose to eat them. So in conclusion of my
experiment the turtles don't really care for size but the turtles really care about the
color of the fish.
General Information
Scientific classification Trachemys Scripta Elegans. 
Common name Red-Eared Slider or Florida turtle. 
Geographic distribution This native of the south of the United
States is found in many places of the world. It has been introduced by people who
bought them as pets to later release them in the wild when they decide they don't
want to keep them anymore. This represents a big problem. In southern Europe,
for example, the red-eared slider competes for survival against the costume of
Europe who is now in danger of extinction. 
Size It can grow up to 30 cms (11.8 inches). 
Longevity In the wild it can live about 20 years, but in captivity some
specimens have been reported to live up to 40 years. 
Physical description It is dark green with yellow lines and distinctive
red patches at both sides of the head. Sliders can be distinguished most easily by
their rounded lower jaw (which is more squared off in Pseudemys species). The
toes on her rear legs are connected by a membrane (like ducks), since they are
aquatic animals. 
Gender identification Males have longer claws in their front
legs. The cloaca in females is located closer to the carapace than in males. 
Red-eared Sliders (Chrysemys scripta) are found throughout the United States east of the
Rockies. The subspecies C. s. elegans is the one most often sold in pet stores here and
abroad. These fresh water turtles spend much of their time in the warm waters of their
native habitat. While they are strong underwater swimmers, these sliders spend much of
the warmer hours of the day hauled out on logs or rocks (or, when very small, on marsh
weeds and other aquatic plants) basking in the sun. All of the sliders are omnivores,
eating
both animal protein and vegetable/plant matter. Younger turtles need up to 40% of their
food from protein sources; adult turtles feed more heavily on vegetation. In the wild
they
begin by eating tiny fish and amphibian larva, water snails and a variety of plants
growing
in the water and on land. 
It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four inches in length
(this is
problematic for those species whose full adult size is 4 or less!). The ones sold legally
will
be at least four inches long from the neck end of the carapace (top shell) to the tail
end of
the carapace. If male, it will be somewhere between 2-4 years old and already sexually
mature. Wild females reach maturity later, between 5-7 years, and will then be over 5
inches in length; in captivity, females may reach maturity at about 3 1/2 years. You will
be
able to tell male from females: males are smaller than females in overall body size but
have
longer tails. 
As with all wild-caught reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress
for
some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial
infections, including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children.
Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time
without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite; many of
these turtles will not eat when they are stressed or frightened, and cannot eat when
they
are too cold. As soon as you can after you take your turtle home, scoop up a fresh fecal
sample and take it and your turtle to a reptile veterinarian. While the feces is being
tested,
the vet will check out your turtle for signs of nutritional deficiencies, topical
bacterial or
fungal infections, beak overgrowth, respiratory and eye infections - all very common in
wild-caught animals (and in captive turtles who have not been provided with the proper
environment or diet). Make sure your turtle is given all the medication prescribed by
the
vet. If you have trouble administering it yourself, take your turtle back to the vet to
have it
done. If maintained at the proper temperatures, fed a healthy varied diet and kept in a
stress-free active environment, your turtle may outlive you: some individuals have lived
more than 100 years.