What Kind of Turtle Is This? –
5/3/08
I found this terrapin (or turtle) in my garage. He was literally
hitting the door. When I first looked out I didn't see anyone but the
next time I went out the front door and into the garage and this is what
I found. Please identify. What does he eat. I plan to let him go. He's
got inch long finger nails and the back feet are kinda webbed. Mary in
Arkansas
<Hello Mary. It's difficult to ID this beast without seeing the head
more clearly, but I'm fairly sure that it is either the Yellow Bellied
Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) or the Red Eared Slider (Trachemys
scripta elegans). As their names suggest, the difference between them is
that one has red flashes on the sides of the head, and the other
doesn't. Basic care is identical. Nice pets, but if you're not up to
homing the terrapin in question, then get in touch with your local Fish
& Wildlife department or Humane Society for information. Red eared
Sliders are at least native to your state, in which case the Fish &
Wildlife department may be able to tell you where to safely release the
animal back into the wild (if that's the species in question). The
Arkansas Herpetological Society may also be able to help.
http://www.snakesofarkansas.com/Main/Turtle
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: What Kind of Turtle Is This? – 5/3/08
Thanks Neale, I just wanted to be sure this wasn't an endangered
species. I live out in the country and will probably just let it go in
my woods. There is a creek about 200 yards away. Maybe I can get a
better picture of the head. I'm anxious to let him go. It's probably
ready to catch some bugs, or whatever it eats. Mary in AR
<Hi Mary. Please confirm with your Fish & Wildlife department before
releasing the animal. While it may be a wild animal, it could equally
easily be an escaped pet from a nearby home. Pet animals can carry
diseases that seriously harm wildlife, and they can also cause problems
by disrupting natural ecosystems. Pet animals may be less adept at
finding food and escaping from predators, so that's another issue.
Putting the turtle in a box with a shallow bowl of water for drinking is
really all it needs for a few days. Starvation isn't an issue, so don't
worry about that. (It eats mostly plants, as it happens, rather than
bugs.) While I'm fairly sure your beastie is merely a wild animal that
took a wrong turn on its travels, you can't be too careful, so check
before letting it go. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: What Kind of Turtle Is This? –
5/3/08
Thanks Neale, I have sent pictures to the address you sent -
http://www.snakesofarkansas.com/Main/Turtle
Waiting for a reply. Mary in AR
<Cool. Good luck, Neale.> |
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Baby turtle identification & care – 07/24/07
Hello,
<Hi there -- Darrel here>
Well my aunt got me a turtle while going fishing.
<I'll take that to mean she brought BACK a turtle from her fishing trip>
It's very small. I think it's a baby or that's just how there species look, but
to the point it just started eating its food today and it's been having this
clear floating stuff on it, and it wont come off.
<Sounds like it might be a fungus, but 'clear floating stuff' is a little vague.
Is it soft, like dead skin or hard, like a film on the shell? Please write back
with a more detailed description>
And what type of items am I suppose to put in there with it? I just don't know
what to do.
<Try this link to get an idea of basic care:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm
and try this link to see if you can identify what it looks like:
http://www.xupstart.com/wwm/
Hope this helps>
What kind of turtle is this?
6/5/07
Hi,
<Hi right back!)
My son found a turtle in our front yard. How can I tell what kind of turtle
it is and if it is male/female? I brought it to my vet ( I was on my way
there anyway) and they weren't sure what kind it is.
<Well, there's our first problem. If a veterinarian who has seen the turtle
can't tell you then we here at the Media aren't going to be able to help you
without seeing it.>
I've been trying to find pictures on line of different kinds of turtle, but
can't find any.
<Well, let's keep at it, OK? Can you send us a picture taken with a digital
camera or cell phone cam? That would give us a place to start. Here's
another: http://www.xupstart.com/wwm any of those look familiar? Help us to
help you and we'll get there together!>
I found info about care though.
<Let's hold up on that, shall we? If we don't know if it's a turtle,
terrapin or tortoise, we may not have the right care instructions. For now
.... dry & warm, OK?>
Thanks!
Cathy
<you're welcome - Darrel!>
Re: What kind of turtle is this?
6/5/07
Hi,
<Hi Again!>
I sent a note last night and now I'm sending some pictures of a turtle
my son found.
<Note to readers: Cathy sent a link to a private site containing pictures,
so we can't share the pics with you. Nothing personal.>
Can you tell me what kind of turtle this is?
<Sure -- that is a Box Turtle! Possibly an "Ornate Box Turtle" Terrapene
ornata>
We'd like to keep it as a pet, but want to make sure we are giving it the
proper care.
<Cathy - you've found one of the absolute coolest and most fun turtles to
have! They are intelligent, personable little guys with distinct and
individual personalities and preferences and they're one of the lowest
maintenance pets a person can have. He'll be very tolerant of any mistakes
you might make and there are very few dangers with Box Turtles.>
I found info on line but need to know what kind it is so that we
are doing the right thing.
<First, he's a land turtle. He likes water but he doesn't swim very well or
even often, so all he needs is a shallow pan of clean water where he can
drink and lounge. He's very tolerant of temperatures and can live happily in
almost an temperature that humans like. He can have a hanging light bulb
over a portion of his box or even a heating pad in one area. He'll eat a
wide variety of foods from flower petals to succulent fruits & berries to
earthworms -- and this is the only thing you really have to watch for: They
can very easily get "hooked" on something like melon or strawberry or such
and refuse all other foods, so make sure you feed him a constant variety.
Don't feed him dog or cat food, crickets or any kind of mealworms - these
are all foods he'll love, that are NOT good for him but can cause him to
refuse other food... and trust me, he can refuse food a LOT longer than you
could stand to see him not eat.>
Thanks so much!
<I'm glad we got to the bottom of this!>
Cathy
<Darrel>
Re: That's a Box Turtle! 6/5/07
Thanks Crew!
<No problem>
I'm so glad we found out what kind of turtle he or she is.
<It makes like easier for the turtle, too! One possibility is that it's an
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) in which case the lack of red or
orange eyes would indicate she's a girl.>
Should I feed him any kind of meat? I got a turtle book and they mentioned
raw beef or dog food (like a chicken variety). Should I do this?
<No. When I wrote "no dog or cat food" that would include all flavors of dog
food.>
I knew about the fruits but what about vegetable?
<The key to a happy Box turtle is variation in diet. Melon or banana today,
then perhaps collard or chard on Thursday and then maybe ONE earthworm
(night crawler - available at most pet stores) on Saturday. Feed her no more
than three times a week, in the morning. Feed her HALF as much as you think
she needs and remove all uneaten food at the end of the day.>
Thanks so much!
<Di nada>
Cathy
A Mystery turtle and some turtle help, fdg. young 5/24/07
Hello, I'm Jessie.
<Nice to meet you Jessie, I'm Darrel>
Recently, my mother found a baby turtle roaming around while at work. So she
brought it home (mainly because our family has a need to care for animals... and
it was cute). It's a bit larger than a quarter and has intricate yellow
markings. These markings include 2 swirls near the back of its shell and black
spots on the underside of the shell (these are just main markings I'm trying to
point out it has yellow stripes everywhere). The spots are on the underside of
the rim of the shell, other than that it has an all yellow underbelly. Oh, an it
has this little ridge on its back. Now I've been doing research, and I think
that it is a baby River Cooter.
<That what I was thinking, too.>
She found this turtle kind of out of its area. You see, it says that this turtle
lives in the northern part of Florida, but we live in Sarasota. I'd be happy to
send pictures of it... when my dad comes home with the camera.
<many different cooters live in Florida, Jessie and I'd guess this one lives in
your area. You don't have to send pictures>
I HAVE been trying to find out what I could about Florida turtles and about baby
river cooters. Unfortunately, I find myself in a very difficult situation. 1. I
don't know how old it is so I don't know if its still using the yolk for food.
<I doubt that it is, so it's time to start feeding it>
2. I am lacking the foods that the sites I have visited suggest feeding to this
turtle (cut up minnows or lettuce)
<a small cotter would like koi pellets that are available cheaply at your local
pet store>
3. I'm not completely sure if this turtle will be a permanent pet. Seeing a show
it's a baby, it's cute, we love animals, and my Dad seems to have taken an
interest in it, I'm guessing it will be.
<let's hope so! They make fun and interesting pets>
Can anyone help me? And or does anyone have suggestions?
<first, make sure it has a place to get wet and a place to get dry and warm and
is safe from any other animals like dogs or cats. They like sunshine, but
direct Florida sunshine can get that little guy overheated quickly, so never
leave him alone out under the sun. Here is a link to a care sheet that will
tell you a lot more
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/redearsliders.htm Good
luck to you, Jessie, and thank you for writing us!>
Turtle ID Needed 9/6/06
Hi. I live in PA and recently found a turtle which I am planning to
release, but I would like to know what kind it is first to find the proper
location site. I have searched and have had no luck! The turtle has a black
or dark green shell with no spots. It has a orangish belly with yellow
stripes on the neck and red spotted/stripped legs! See what I mean she is
complicated. Could you please help me? I want to do what is best for her.
P.S she has a flat belly so I assumed she was a female!
your help would be much appreciated thank you.
< Do a google search on Eastern or Midland Painted Turtle. Both are found in
your area. Once you find a picture then you can determine which one you
have.-Chuck>
Sexing An Unknown Turtle Species 8/19/06
HI. I have 2 gammarus turtles and I want to know if they are boy or girl can
you help me? ana
< Don't know what a gammarus turtle is? Gammarus is a shrimp often used as food
for turtles and fish. A good photo might help with the ID.-Chuck>
Re: Turning A Turtle Loose In A Pond 8/21/06
Ok Thank you. Do you think the turtle I already released is still alive or
not?
< Adult turtles are pretty tough and have few predators. Smaller turtles are
preyed on by just about everything. If your turtle was released early in the
year, close to being an adult size and in good health, then I think he probably
made it if the winter was not too severe.>
I don't have a picture of the turtle but I was told its a cooter or something
like that.
< Lots of turtles go under the name of cooters or sliders.>
Also, I do want my turtle. I just think it would be better off with
other turtles then in my little pond. It is about 2 feet deep and 6
feet long and 3 feet wide. It is actually a kiddie pool and I have fish in
there with it and it kills them all the time and also bugs so I think it could
survive in the pond but I'm worried about if it could survive there in the
winter. Thank you for your answers and help.
< Many people think that turtles get lonely and need other turtles to be around.
Other turtle are looked at as competition. If your pond has a mud bottom and
your winters are not too bad then your turtle may be OK outdoors. In the
northern part of the country where winters are pretty long and winter temps are
pretty severe they do not overwinter well.-Chuck>
ID A Poor Swimming Turtle 07/02/06
Hi, For about a year we've had two semi-aquatic turtles bought as babies
from someone that did not know what type they were. We first ID'd them as
Reeve's Turtles because they seemed to have 3 keels on their shells, long tails,
and were very poor swimmers. (In fact they can't cope at all with water deeper
than their heads; if they can't reach a pellet, they will "jump" rather than
swim up to it, and generally speaking their hind legs never leave the bottom. I
even tried giving them some supervised "swimming lessons" in case the shallow
water had just made them lazy, but they're hopeless.) The few pictures we could
find of young Reeve's were not a perfect match for ours, but didn't seem to rule
it out.
We have recently discovered them mating at night, leading us to conclude that
one is male and one female. They have a pretty violent mating habit in which the
male reaches down with his very long neck and bites the female's neck. He has
actually caused her wounds. By looking up that habit, we came across a S.
American species, Geoffroy's Side-Necked Turtle, the images of which seemed to
be a much closer match for our two. But the description of Geoffroy's is wrong
in two ways: they don't retract their heads "sideways" in the way the
Side-Neck's name implies, and they are definitely not "excellent swimmers."
They have seemed happy and healthy being treated more or less the same as our
RES but with shallower water, but we're still curious as to what they are. Any
ideas? Thanks! Phil & Diya
<Look at the American Wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta ). This may be an outdated
name, but you should find plenty of info by Googling the common name. Very cool
turtle and may also be rare depending on the subspecies.-Chuck>
[Images attached, including one showing them as babies. Hope the files aren't
too big.] <<Nope, just unfortunately not saved... RMF>>
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Identification Issue, turtle - 4/11/2006
Dear Crew:
<Brandon>
Greetings and Salutations. As a general rule I keep snakes; however,
I managed to acquire a "turtle." This was more of an animal surrender
as he was not being fed well, possibly was dehydrated, and just didn't
seem to be in optimum health. It is my goal to remedy that unfortunate
situation, Besides, my daughter immediately fell in love with him. Here
is my question, what type of turtle is it? I have been on the search
for information and just cannot seem to definitively identify the little
guy. For the time being he is in a 20 gallon tank, nice hide spot, new
UV lighting, and a dish of water that he can submerge his entire body
while still being able to get out of it. He is very active, likes to
climb, and has spent some time soaking in his water bowl. After his
soak I had to clean his carapace and noticed that he does have color. I
really think it is a painted turtle. The person who surrendered it
thought it was a "woodland" turtle from Canada? I am not sure where she
received her information. He has been a pet for 15 years, and I believe
he has not been kept in a truly 50-50 aquatic situation. I am sending
pictures ( I pray they are not too large). I am hoping that you can
help me identify this little guy; I want to be able to provide the best
possible environment for him.
<Mmm, looks like a color-variant (due to upbringing) of an Eastern
Painted Turtle to me (Chrysemys picta)... have never heard of or seen
such a thing as a "Canadian Woodland" turtle>
Again I apologize if I broke the picture rules.
Any help you may be able to offer would be appreciated.
Brandon C. Heuyard |
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Turtle ID FAQ on 4/10/06
Dear Fearless Leader, I was unable to open the picture sent for the
following question so I sent it back to the freshwater section. After
seeing
it today on the main website it definitely looks like a semi-aquatic
wood turtle in the genus Clemmys. It actually may be a very endangered
Clemmys
muhlenberg. See ya in a couple of weeks.-Chuck
<Yikes... will amend. Danke. BobF> |
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What Kind of Turtle is it? 8/23/05
My friend just found a small turtle, but cannot find out what type it
is. It
is either dark green or black with yellow-green stripes all over its body and
shell. Also it has a flat yellow-orange stomach. It has three triangular
bumps on its shell. It has a tail and webbed feet with claws. If you know what
it is, please tell me what it eats. Also, the place where she found it is
under construction. Where would you suggest she release it?
< Sounds like you have a map turtle. They are an aquatic species that live on
invertebrates, fish, plants and just about anything else. It could be released
in a stream , river or creek away from human habitations.-Chuck>
Box Turtle Lost In Washington State 8/20/05
I'm in Spokane, Wa. and I was driving home when I found a turtle sitting
in
the middle of the road. That's really odd, due to the fact that I, personally,
am about 5 miles from the nearest water source other than a hose spigot. I'm
not sure what type or what to do about it.
It's about 6" long, dark brown shell, with yellow markings. This may sound
really stupid, but I know absolutely nothing about turtles, but the skin is
rough and has small red "flecks", if you will. His shell, (if it is a he), is
about 3.5" high. I really don't know what else to tell you, but I also want to
know how to care for it and so forth. I'm really worried that some poor kid
is probably worried sick that their pet turtle is missing. Any advice at all
is welcome. Thanks for your time, Katlin and "Bogart"
< Sounds like a little box turtle lost his way. Keep him in an aquarium
/terrarium setup of about 40 gallon size (3Ft). They must have water that they
can get in and out of. They need a basking spot on land with a good heat/sun
lamp. They love snails but will eat many fruits and vegetables. They live for a
very, very long time with proper care. Do a google search on box turtles and you
will be busy reading for hours.-Chuck>
