Captive-bred snapping turtles need to sun their backs. Wild snapping turtles live in deep water and rarely climb to shore to bask in the sun. But when they are raised in captivity, they should be exposed to the sun frequently. This can help them absorb vitamin D and promote calcium absorption. Breeders can set up drying platforms in containers so that they can climb ashore freely to bask in the sun, or they can regularly fish them out and put them on the ground to bask in the sun. Back lamps can also be installed in the tank and turned on regularly to let them bask in the sun.
Although they are terrapins and live in deep water, frequent exposure to the sun can promote the absorption of calcium, and the ultraviolet rays in the sun can kill most of the bacteria on the carapace, and frequent exposure to the sun can promote their growth and development. Therefore, it is better for family breeding to give them regular back drying. Because the snapping turtle is a terrapin, the light should not be too strong when basking on the back, and the time of basking on the back should not be too long, if it is natural light, 2-3 times a week, 30-60 minutes each time. If
the breeder wants to dry the back of the crocodile turtle, he can build a drying platform in the container and let them climb up to dry their back or rest. This method is more convenient, but it needs a large enough container. If the container is not big enough, the snapping turtle can be fished out regularly and dried on the ground, but this method is more troublesome and easy to be injured in the process of fishing. You can also choose to install a sunning lamp, which is also turned on 2-3 times a week for about 1 hour each time. In summer, you can't choose the time of noon to bask the back of snapping turtles. It's better when the sun comes out in the morning or when the sun is about to set in the evening, because snapping turtles can't accept too strong light. Moreover, the sunshine time in summer should not be too long to avoid dehydration.
