Toys

Environmental enrichment, which contains items that encourage natural behaviors and mental engagement, may be beneficial for Black River Turtles, similar to Rhinoclemmys funerea. Enrichment may improve turtles' quality of life and encourage activity in their surroundings, even though turtles don't play with toys like mammals. Black River Turtles could benefit from the following toys and enrichment items:

anything That Float: Turtles love to play with anything that float, such cork bark, platforms, or fake lily pads. In addition to providing a place to rest close to the water's surface, these items also stimulate the turtles to climb, bathe, and explore their environment on various levels.

Plants: Make sure the turtle's environment has some living aquatic plants. In addition to oxygenating the water, plants such as water hyacinths, duckweed, and hornwort provide natural cover, pasture, and exploring possibilities. A turtle's diet may be supplemented and its foraging behavior mimicked by nibbling on plant leaves and roots.

Toys for Feeding: To encourage your turtles' innate hunting behavior, try using feeding toys or puzzles. Put some food in a reward dispenser or a floating ball with holes so the turtle has to push or manipulate it to get to it. By doing so, we may reward good habits while also encouraging exercise and mental challenge.

Turtles need a place to dig and burrow, so be sure you provide them with a sandy or gravelly substrate. Digging is a fun activity for turtles, and they may use it to build nests or find hidden food. Make sure the substrate is clean and devoid of anything that might hurt the turtles.

Create tunnels or hiding places by introducing submerged constructions like PVC pipes, ceramic tubes, or piled boulders. Turtles may use these structures as a playground, a means of exploring the water column, and a place to hide when they feel threatened.

Maintain the turtles' curiosity and forestall habituation by periodically rotating and varying the enrichment items. At regular intervals, provide the turtles new stimuli by introducing new toys, rearranging old things, or changing the arrangement of their environment.

When choosing or creating an enrichment item, it is essential to keep the turtles' safety in mind at all times. Never put anything into water that might cause injury, especially anything with sharp edges, tiny pieces, or things that could leak toxic compounds. Keep an eye on how the turtles play with their toys and take away anything that might hurt them or get them sick.