{"topic_id":"exotic_environment_red_eared_slider","category":"exotic-pet-husbandry","context":"---\ntopic_id: exotic_environment_red_eared_slider\ncategory: exotic-pet-husbandry\ntitle: \"Red-eared slider environment — aquatic, water depth ≥30 cm, land area needed; POTZ 22–27°C, UVB recommended, omnivorous\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — non-Open-Access; paraphrased derived fact summary per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3.\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_reptile_husbandry.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-28\ntokens_estimated: 95\nverified: true\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 5\n  passed: 5\n  date: 2026-08-04\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual\"\n  title: \"Red-eared slider environment — aquatic, water depth ≥30 cm, land area needed; POTZ 22–27°C, UVB recommended, omnivorous\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/reptiles/management-and-husbandry-of-reptiles\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-28\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"professional veterinary reference\"\n  needs_review: false\nlicense: paraphrase\ncopyright_note: \"Source Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is © Merck & Co., Inc. and not openly licensed; per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\"\nauthority_tier: T3\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T3:vet-ref\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n# Red-eared slider environment\n\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted professional veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.\n\n## Claims\n\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Red-eared sliders are temperate-to-subtropical aquatic turtles; minimum water depth 30 cm (12 inches) with a land area about one-third of the tank, recommended 22–27°C (72–81°F).\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Most non-breeding pet snakes and aquatic turtles are best kept alone, because feeding injuries are common when housed together.\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Ideally only one species is kept per enclosure, to avoid competition for food, basking spots, and retreats.\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* The enclosure type (arboreal, terrestrial, subterranean, or aquatic) should suit the species.\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Outdoor enclosures are ideal where climate allows, but theft, escape, predators, and disease-carrying wildlife must be considered; glass is a poor insulator that can cause large temperature swings, whereas wood, plastic, or fiberglass enclosures are more versatile and preferred, though costlier.\n","sources":["exotic-pet-husbandry — Red-eared slider environment — aquatic, water depth ≥30 cm, land area needed; POTZ 22–27°C, UVB recommended, omnivorous (retrieved 2026-07-28)"],"source":{"authority":"exotic-pet-husbandry","title":"Red-eared slider environment — aquatic, water depth ≥30 cm, land area needed; POTZ 22–27°C, UVB recommended, omnivorous","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/reptiles/management-and-husbandry-of-reptiles","retrieved":"2026-07-28","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)","verification_file":"pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_reptile_husbandry.txt"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)","source_file":"pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_reptile_husbandry.txt","trust":{"authority_tier":"T3","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"paraphrase","display_grade":"B"},"tokens_estimated":95,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}