Death bowls are the flat
plastic turtle bowls with palm tree that so many of us old geezers remember from
our youth. There is absolutely nothing about these bowls that will do anything
to keep a turtle alive.Return to World Chelonian Trust Main Page for more Turtle and Tortoise Information
WHAT ARE DEATH BOWLS? - Glen Jacobsen
Copyright © 2003 World Chelonian Trust. All rights reserved
Death bowls are the flat
plastic turtle bowls with palm tree that so many of us old geezers remember from
our youth. There is absolutely nothing about these bowls that will do anything
to keep a turtle alive.
There is no provision for a basking light or UV source. If there is no basking light the turtle is not warmed enough to digest its food -- no UV source leads to MBD unless D3 supplemented.
If a light is positioned over the basking area it will cook the entire bowl and the turtle or at the very least not allow for any temperature gradient.
If placed in the sun, the turtle simply cooks.
Larger sliders find them easy to escape from.
The combination of being so shallow and without filtration means that in a matter of minutes after cleaning the bowl the water once again resembles a sewer.
There is no hiding place.
All of the above = Death Bowl. The only thing that would be worse would be to give a free can of dried flies (turtle food of yesteryear) with each purchase.
www.chelonia.org - World Chelonian Trust
World Chelonian Trust
PO Box 1445
Vacaville, CA
95696
