Central American Wood Turtle Care

The Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima manni, or Central American Wood Turtle, is also known as the Ornate or Painted Wood Turtle. It is small, generally no bigger than 8 inches, and dark green with red, yellow and black ring-like markings. Though classified as a terrestrial species, the Central American Wood Turtle must be kept in a space that contains a combination of both wet and dry environments because the climate of its natural habitat is tropical and humid.

  1. Privacy

    • Central American Wood Turtles must feel a sense of security when kept in a non-native environment. It is necessary to cover the back and side walls, in the interior, with terrarium or vivarium plants and brown cork bark. Brown wallpaper can also be applied to the terrarium's back and side walls on the exterior. Placing live, potted plants and driftwood in the terrarium's interior (especially near the basking area) is also essential, because the turtle will not bask if it doesn't feel secluded and safe.

    Water and Substrate

    • Central American Wood Turtles must be kept in an environment that contains both substrate, or ground, and water. A good substrate consists of an equal-parts combination of bark chips, sphagnum moss and coco-fiber. A good water area consists of a shallow pond that can be removed, cleaned and replaced daily without disturbing the substrate. The substrate will only have to be changed once or twice a year, but must be sprayed and thoroughly moistened (but not soaked) with tepid water daily.

    Lighting and Temperature

    • Temperature is one of the most important aspects in caring for a Central American Wood Turtle because the turtle's natural environment is in the humid, tropical climate of Central America. The ideal habitat temperature is between 72 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with a basking area temperature between 90 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. While airflow should not be restricted completely, inhibiting ventilation will increase the humidity inside the terrarium. A 5 percent UVB fluorescent tube light is a good choice for overhead lighting, and a 60-watt basking spot bulb or lamp should be sufficient for lighting directly over the terrarium. Hooking the lights up to a timer is also a good idea, since the turtle(s) should only get about 12.5 hours of light a day. The turtle will do best if kept in a warm room. If not, a way must be found to increase the temperature inside the terrarium without increasing the light. Options for this include exterior heating pads, aquarium heaters or an extra spotlight with a red bulb, because turtles can't see red light but will feel the extra heat.

    Feeding

    • Like most turtles, Central American Wood Turtles are omnivorous. Adult turtles should be fed no less than three times a week; the components of each meal should be chopped, mixed together and dusted thoroughly with a calcium supplement. An ideal meal consists of 60 percent leafy greens, dandelions, water cress, fresh spinach, endive and escarole and 30 percent fruit. Examples of acceptable fruits include fresh grapes, apple, melon, kiwi, strawberries, banana, tomato and cucumber. The remaining 10 percent consists of a pelleted turtle food. Though Central American Wood Turtles are omnivores, they also eat feeder insects such as meal worms and small roaches. These should also be dusted with a calcium supplement and should be fed to the turtle(s) about once a month in a location separate from the terrarium, such as a tub filled with 10 inches of water at roughly 79 degrees Fahrenheit.