Jonathan Helms
Welcome to the group Mike. I will attemt to answer all of your questions. 1) I was also told a long time ago that diamondbacks don’t need to bask that much. This is completely incorrect. My first diamondback was kept in a 60 gallon tank with no basking area. After a few months his shell started to loose some of it’s color. My terrapins now all have basking areas and they spend the better part of the day basking and their shells seem to look better the longer they bask. 2) Sexing your terrapin. I personally can tell when they are around 2.5 inches in length, but to be positive I would normally wait until they are around 3 inches. 3) Feeding. I personally feed my hatchlings and juveniles many Reptomin, Aquamax, and every once in a while live food. My adults eat mainly smelt and Aquamax. Good luck with your new diamondbacks. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of them as I do. Feel free to post any more question you might have. Jonathan The Scute Moderator http://www.geocities.com/diamondbackterrapins/