Pets & Animals

He's Been Breeding one of the World's Prettiest Turtle Species Since the '90s!

by Just Turtles

📚 Main topics

A dedicated rearing setupMark uses his garage to raise Diamondback Terrapins at different life stages, moving them between tanks as they grow and keeping separate spaces for retired males or turtles needing care. 1:02
Keeping young terrapins active and healthyHe provides enrichment such as fish, plants, rocks, and bubbles, and adds some salt to the water without measuring an exact salinity. 4:09
Patterns and selective breedingMark describes the variety in ornate terrapin shell patterns, including flowerback markings that become clearer as turtles grow. He keeps some animals with traits he likes, while maintaining relatively large breeding groups. 7:16
Outdoor care and protectionThe conversation covers securing outdoor enclosures from predators, isolating injured turtles when needed, and planning for pests such as rodents. 9:54
Filtration and feeding hatchlingsMark explains his use of biological filtration and UV filters, plus how he encourages hatchlings to eat with foods such as shrimp before transitioning them to pellets. 13:45
Adult groups and nesting areasThe outdoor enclosures include different terrapin groups, with sand available for nesting and pavers used to cover it after nesting season. 17:52
Food and species focusMark describes his food mix for adult terrapins and hatchling diet, then explains why he chose to focus on breeding Diamondback Terrapins rather than keeping many species. 22:32

✨ Key takeaways

Plan for the commitmentTurtle breeding takes space, time, and ongoing attention, including the ability to house animals separately when their needs differ. 1:02
Enrichment can help reduce aggressionProviding distractions and enough room for fish to hide may help reduce turtle-on-turtle aggression and support fish populations. 4:09
Observe the whole setupLivebearing fish can offer clues about water quality or enclosure conditions, since they may struggle before the turtles show signs of a problem. 6:15
Appearance changes with ageTerrapin shell colors and patterns can develop as they grow and shed their scutes, so hatchlings may not reveal their eventual appearance right away. 16:18
Be ready to adaptMark regularly adjusts his tanks and uses different approaches for water volume, filtration, and raising young turtles. 14:16

🧠 Lessons learned

Make animal safety a prioritySecure outdoor enclosures against predators, keep a way to isolate injured or vulnerable turtles, and consult a veterinarian when unsure how to handle an injury. 9:54
Choose animals for the right reasonsMark suggests prioritizing the terrapin you enjoy rather than getting caught up in breeder labels for particular shell patterns or types. 12:30
Focus can improve careConcentrating on one species lets Mark devote his resources to raising it well, while still enjoying learning about other animals through the reptile community. 25:40
Take responsibility as a keeperThoughtful, consistent care and specialization can help private keepers build a positive reputation and contribute to the hobby. 26:43

🏁 Conclusion/next steps

A long-term passionMark has kept Diamondback Terrapins for 35 years and values the generations he has raised, as well as the supportive community around turtle keeping. 27:46
Learn and ask for helpThe hosts encourage keepers to seek advice and support so they can provide proper care and help the next generation of turtle enthusiasts. 28:19

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Transcript excerpt

0:00 [Music] Subscribe. What's up, guys? I'm here in California, Southern California, with my friend Mark. Uh, you might know him as MC Turpps on Facebook. If you don't, then you should know him. And I was just saying this is terrific that uh he's

0:32 another tall guy so I don't have to slouch for the videos or anything and I don't look like a weird ogre. So this is really cool. No, it's fantastic. My pleasure that you don't have to slouch for me. It's nice to nice to see everybody. Isn't it great? Yeah. So I really appreciate it. Now I've been here before, but today we're going to be taking a look at your amazing operation here with Diamondback Terrapins, but we're going to do it for the first time on camera. So, I'm really excited to do that and I' I'd love to just have you, you know, explain kind of what you're

1:02 doing here and show us the ins and outs of of all of this. Yeah, sounds great. This is a pretty elaborate and and cool setup you got here. Tell me what's going on. Yeah, so one of the things I think everybody needs to be prepared for when they're going to breed turtles or think about raising them is do you have the space and the time and the commitment to raise them? So, my garage has kind of turned into the baby turtle rearing facility, if you will. And as they grow and as they get bigger, I kind of move them from tank to tank. I'm constantly seems like tinkering and trying to find

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