Opinion on keeping Musks outside

[Bianca]

Hello
I live in Key west, Florida and am interested in musk turtles . A couple of friends have maps or albino sliders outside all year in ponds.
The turtles thrive and breed.

However reading about musks it looks like they are sensitive to chilly winter nights and though most nights average 70s or high 60s during Jan/Feb we might get a freak cold night now and than of high 50s (usually high 70s or 80s during day).

I was planning on a 75 gallon stock pond with mesh top , stock tank will be in half sun half shade area but the occasional chilly winter night concerns me.

Anyone keep musks outside?

I narrowed it down to razormusk, stinkpot and 3 striped mud.

Thanks

 

[tortadise]

Welcome!

 

[Anthony P]

Musks do great outdoors and there is no need to worry about the chill of your winters there. To thrive, they would need certain qualities in a pond hat might not be absolutely necessary for strong swimmers like RES or Graptemys, but it is not difficult. Sides should be sloped, as they walk to the banks, and lots of resting places and security provided by live plants and sunken logs can be a great plus for them. Good luck.

 

[Bianca]

Welcome!

Thank you

 

[Bianca]

Musks do great outdoors and there is no need to worry about the chill of your winters there. To thrive, they would need certain qualities in a pond hat might not be absolutely necessary for strong swimmers like RES or Graptemys, but it is not difficult. Sides should be sloped, as they walk to the banks, and lots of resting places and security provided by live plants and sunken logs can be a great plus for them. Good luck.

Thank you. I do not know anyone who keeps them and the winter temp had me worried .

I might do something like this cichlid stock tank but completely buried with small brick wall around it and metal screen over the top, allowing in sun but no predators.

For sloped sides I'll use driftwood "docks".

 

[adamlikesbananas]

It sounds like that would be fine being that the temperature doesn't get too cold but then again you should think about getting a heater for it just incase.
I would choose the razorback or the stinkpot or even both, and a 3 striped mud is not a musk turtle and requires slightly different care.

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Also the stinkpot and the 3 striped mud turtle might fight being that they look pretty similar.

 

[bmt123]

If your worried You could just temporarily bring them in on those cold nights.

 

[Anthony P]

I would be a little worried about using a stock tank like that. Wile it's true that they can handle that, it only takes one accident to lose an animal. I if you have males in your group, turtles can be drowned by mating attempts, which is normally survived by the turtle under the other walking along the sloped bottom to the surface.

If a female is pinned on the bottom, by an aggressive male, and there is a ton of driftwood for him to possibly pin her under/against, then it may create a perfect storm where animals can be lost.

It's definitely worth giving it a shot, but try to keep this in mind when designing the enclosure.

 

[Bianca]

It sounds like that would be fine being that the temperature doesn't get too cold but then again you should think about getting a heater for it just incase.
I would choose the razorback or the stinkpot or even both, and a 3 striped mud is not a musk turtle and requires slightly different care.

---

Also the stinkpot and the 3 striped mud turtle might fight being that they look pretty similar.

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Thanks , I have been reading about them and leaning towards the stinkpots as seem hardier in colder nights.

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If your worried You could just temporarily bring them in on those cold nights.

Yes , I could but rather not however your right.

Funny thing is all the people I know here with outside turtles and can not find one with musks or muds .

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I would be a little worried about using a stock tank like that. Wile it's true that they can handle that, it only takes one accident to lose an animal. I if you have males in your group, turtles can be drowned by mating attempts, which is normally survived by the turtle under the other walking along the sloped bottom to the surface.

If a female is pinned on the bottom, by an aggressive male, and there is a ton of driftwood for him to possibly pin her under/against, then it may create a perfect storm where animals can be lost.

It's definitely worth giving it a shot, but try to keep this in mind when designing the enclosure.

I was planning on wood pile by both stock tank ends leading out of the water but what would you go with regular sloped pond with pond liner?

I can go either way but was worried about pond liner and turtle claws.