Hey guys I am new to the whole turtle experience and I recently found 1 walking down the street from my house. I live in the Bronx and in a very urban area so I know that it had to belong to someone. So I decided to rings some bells and ask people if it was theirs. Everyone said no so I decided to keep it. Now the thing is I don't know what type it is. I thought it was a red eared slidder but I relized that there was no red marks on the sides of its head. Other than that it looks exactly like one. Right now I have it in a temporary cage and I am planning on making one and what I want to know is what would I really need for it? Would I need a filter? I know I need a heat sorce. But what else would I need to keep him alive and happy. Thanx for all your help.
This may be a stupid question because I know almost nothing about turtles at all, but could it be a yellow eared slider? I've seen a couple of them before, and they seem to be very similar to the red ears, but with a yellow strip where the red stripe would be. -Cristine
http://www.parcplace.org/education/pdf/yellowbellislider.pdf Ok, I guess they are called yellow bellied sliders, but they are in the same family or something. Here is a link to a site that I found. Do the pictures look like what you've got? -Cristine
cd thanx for the help. i did find out what it was...a painted turtle. here is a picture i found on google. this is exactly what it looks like except the 1 i have is a little bigger i found the picture on google
My friend has wanted a painted for a long time and here you go and find one outside your house in the city! lol! She'll be so jealous! Glad he found a good home. Let us know if you have any questions!
I'm glad you were able to rescue it... it obviously wasn't 'wild' & probably belonged to someone, otherwise I'm sure it would have been a snack for a cat or other neighborhood critter.. Anyhow, you'll want a tank big enough for it to grow into... It will probably stay under 10" (shell measurement), so remember that you'll need 10gal of water per inch of turtle... You'll need to keep the water warm and provide a basking area, so lights & a heater are necessary. You'll also need a good filter as turtles can be kinda messy. If you have any more specific questions, want a place to hang out, or need supplies, check out the site in my sig
Eric thanks i have him in a 10gallon (temporary) and he is about 3"(shell) and he seems pretty happy but i am looking into getinhim a biger tank
the turtle is doing great he seems very happy i named him Wesam (he acts like my cousin Wesam) and he eats a lot. if i throw a fish in he'll eat it and i figure this isn't normal...or is it? i just wanted to know how much i should feed him. i saw another site saying i should feed him no more than the size of his head? if this is true than im gessin i should only give him one fish but he is doing fine and fish aren't expensive ($4 for 50 $7 for 100 [rosey red minnows]) he does eat a lot tho. i just want to know the proper amount to give him. his shell is about 3" diameter
indeed it is and he is loving here with me and not in the street where he would probly be eaten by a stray cat or dog
Normally I don't like wild turtles as pets only if there adults. Heres my rule, since Hatchlings and slightly smaller turtle's mortality rate is so high keep them. They would of died. But adults have survived it this far, better off let them be free.
over-feeding turtles in captivity is very common. he should only have the amount of food that will fit into his head, once a day. he should also have a varied diet. earthworms, feeder fish, kale, dandelion greens, berries, crickets, and (every once in a while) a commercial turtle stick (like 'reptomin' or 'mazuri' brand).
that pic is a cutie,i had a big one that looked like that but it wasnt that kind it had a very broad and wide head i think it was a rd bellied turtle. i read online that you should only feed a certain kind of fish due to other fish having high amounts of a chemical that could be harmful, is that true? the turtle stick i use on occasion i also use to feed my tads, it wardley aquatic reptile food, {tads need alot of protien}and the other one i switched to for my turtles is box turtle food kinda like the wardleys but more varied, less protien, and more of the good stuff. i dont know how good this is but my turtles will eat watermelon as a treat, and carrots are supposed to help their color and pattern i think, hummingbird will know for sure this is just what i believe ive read.
today i decided that my turtle needs a bigger and better home and i really do not have the room right now for a bigger tank for him so i did the best thing i could...i gave him to the Bronx Zoo. now he is with other eastern sliders and RES in their outdoor enclosure.
