turtle id 10/24/09 Can you please id this turtle shell. Thanks in advance! <Hello Pat. While I'd hazard a guess this is some species of Testudo, or perhaps Geochelone, beyond that I can't offer any kind of helpful answer without extra data. It's certainly what here in England we call a "tortoise" -- that is, a terrestrial rather than freshwater/brackish water "terrapin" or a marine "sea turtle" (in British English, the three kinds of chelonian are separated, rather than lumped under the single word "turtle", even though etymologically, "turtle" and "tortoise" mean the same thing). Identifying chelonians from their shells alone is a bit of a fine art since there's much variation. We're primarily fish people here, and while Darrel and I are probably familiar with the more common freshwater turtles/terrapins kept as pets, your chelonian shell isn't one of those species. I'd suggest getting in touch with the herpetological department of your nearest zoo or natural history museum and finding out if they can help. Cheers, Neale.>

Turtle identification 10/10/09 Hello :) <Hello,> A friend of my daughter's found this turtle in the woods. I already scolded him for taking it from its habitat, but now I'm not sure what to do with it. <Generally best to release it where found, as soon as possible. Ideally, contact your local Fish & Wildlife department to see if a park ranger can take you to an optimal release site away from things like busy roads.> I am wondering if I should take it to the pet store even though my daughter wants to keep it. <Certainly shouldn't take it to a pet store. For one thing, wild animals can catch diseases from pet animals, and _vice versa_. On the other hand, staff at a good reptile and amphibian store may well know something about the reptiles local to your bit of the world.> He is rather small (about as big as the palm of my hand) and the bottom of his shell is a bit soft. <Appears to be an Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina. This is a highly variable species, but the dome-like shell, brown colour, and hooked beak are characteristic. The front of the lower shell is hinged, so when the head is pulled back, a trapdoor closes off that part of the shell. Males have red eyes, females brown. I'm assuming you're in the United States somewhere, where this is species is _by far_ the most common terrestrial turtle (what here in England we'd call a tortoise).> He has a short neck, dark eyes and the bit of yellow colorings that I can see. seem to be much darker at times and DO appear much brighter in photos. <If the eyes are brown, and this is Terrapene carolina, then "he" is a she.> He is currently in a large bird cage which we have attempted to convert for his needs. (Frisbee filled with water, dirt for burrowing, half of a potters pot for shelter and "hiding" etc. <Wild-caught specimens don't especially well in captivity, though you have covered the key things, particularly water. They like to bathe, but the water shouldn't be so deep (or the bowl so steep around the edges) it cannot get out easily. If it gets through the first few weeks, and eats and drinks normally, the species can last a long time in captivity. High humidity is important. Bear this in mind if you decide to keep this animal; kept properly, it'll outlive you! The record for a wild specimen is 138 years, and between 50-100 years seems fairly common. In captivity you can expect upwards of 30 year lifespans, and up to 60 years has been reported. Like all reptiles, you need to provide a heat source of some sort if you do not plan to hibernate the animal. Generally, hibernating reptiles is tricky unless you have fattened them up carefully beforehand, and I'd recommend against it, at least for the first year. The heat source of choice is a lamp, and it should be one that produces UV-B as well as heat, because they need UV-B to synthesise Vitamin B1 and convert calcium into bone and shell. In short: they need a big vivarium, a bathing pool, a source of heat, and a source of UV-B. This will be fairly expensive to pull together, and while there's no rush, you will need to have all these bits and pieces before it starts getting too cold. In the wild your Box Turtle would be looking for a resting place to hibernate, somewhere cool, dry, secure from predators and safe from flooding. If you want to keep your turtle, you're going to have to provide a warm, humid alternative.> He moves very quickly and seems to be quite smart lol. (He found a way out of the cage within a few minutes of putting him in it and we were thankful we were there to see it or we never would have believed it - it's fixed now. - and he already prefers one shelter corner over the other!). <Shelter is indeed very important. It's also critical to make sure predators, particularly pet dogs, can't get into the cage. Even a "playful" dog could wound or kill a Box Turtle.> I have attached some photos and am very curious to know what kind of turtle he is, how old, gender etc. and most importantly what he should be eating and what I should do with him. <As I said, likely Terrapene carolina, probably female if the eyes are brown rather than red. Age difficult to say; seems to be full grown, so could be anything from 10 to 100 years!> we've tried many types of food (lettuce, bugs, cooked eggs, cooked pork, fruit etc. - so far he seems to prefer the eggs and pork but only ate each of those once along with a small bit of cucumber. He seems to eat one day but not the next. <Avoid "meat", i.e., anything from a warm blooded animal. The fats in these foods coagulate inside the turtle, causing problems. Instead opt for mostly greens, romaine lettuce and curly lettuce being ideal. Augment with soft fruit (melon, tomato, berries) and offer small amounts of things like earthworms, mealworms, and white fish. Very occasionally you can offer them cooked chicken bones, which seem to go down well, but not too often.> Thanks in advance for your help. Brenda <If you plan to keep this animal, do spend some time reading up on keeping Eastern Box Turtles in captivity. There are some excellent reptile books available for pet owners, and one of those would be a sound investment. Keeping reptiles in captivity isn't easy, and not something to do on a whim. It's a shame to capture an animal that can live for 100 years in the wild, and then kill it after a few months through neglect. So, make your choice: buy all the stuff it needs to thrive, or else return the animal from whence it came, ideally after calling the local wildlife bureau in your neighbourhood. Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: turtle identification 10/10/09 Thank you so much for a speedy reply. <My pleasure.> Based on your information, we have decided it would be most fair to this little lady if we called our local wildlife bureau and let her have her chance to live to a ripe old age. <Good move.> You have been most helpful. PS - we Live in Florida, USA. Although we are a very warm and humid state, we do have our cold days in winter so she would still need much care. <Air temperature all year around should be fine if this animal was kept indoors in a room that wasn't air conditioned. The main thing is to avoid extremes of heat and coldness; anything between 15-30 C should be fine, assuming it has access to water (to keep cool) and a basking lamp (to warm up). But there's no getting around the fact reptiles are all expensive pets in terms of setting up their habitat, even though compared to cats and dogs their long term costs are low (they don't eat much; kept properly, rarely get sick; and don't need such procedures as neutering). Still, they're not pets for everyone. Cheers, Neale.>

Care of a 2 in. alligator snapping turtle 9/30/09 Hi, <Hiya - Darrel here> My granddaughter found a small black turtle with a beak and spiny back on September 26 in the middle of a barrier beach of Smith Point County Park on Fire Island, Suffolk County New York. My husband had spotted a similar turtle a few days earlier in the middle of the camp ground road and he moved it to the marshy area on the bayside of the barrier beach. We feel we rescued it but want to know what to do now! <That would be a long way out of the range of an alligator snapping turtle, but within the normal range of a common snapper, Barbara. Alligator snappers are common only to the drainage basin around the Mississippi river. Assuming there's no chance that it's an escaped pet or even a sea turtle (Sea turtles have flippers and no claws)?? What I'd really like at this point is a couple of photos, even if just from a phone camera. Face, side and from front & above would help clear up a number of questions> We have it in a clear plastic container with wet beach sand, a clump of wet kelp and a sea sponge and a clam shell to provide habitat and a receptacle for fresh water and food. <None of those would be common environment of either snapping turtle> We offered bits of cooked chicken ,chopped meat and lettuce at different times without much interest. <Based on it's environment it probably is in no mood, maybe even no condition to eat> It has been active at times, climbing to the top of the sponge but is mostly burrowed into a thin layer of sand under the kelp. Aside from removing the old food and 'poop' and occasionally peeking under things to assure that it is alive we haven't disturbed it much. Now the question: is it keepable as a pet for an 8 year old under supervision, or should we release it and where? <Well whether or not it's keepable is dependent on a great number of question unanswered. Snapping turtles are notorious for biting hard and having short tempers, so they don't make a good lap pet. But with that said, even a Red Eared Slider can inflict a nasty bite if handled incorrectly -- so really it all depends on the level of maturity of the 8 year old. Turtles are good pets to house, care for and observe, but not to play with.> <As far as the other thing ... NO!!! NO!!! We never EVER release any animal into the wild, even when it's with our best intentions. Territories, sub species, communicable diseases ... just a few of a hundred reasons. If he survived at all, he'd possibly contaminate others, so we never ever release into the wild.> <Once we find out what it is -- send pics!!! -- we'll decide what to do. In the mean time, the link below will give you some basic information.> <All snapping turtles are more aquatic than sliders. While they do it less often, they DO haul out & bask and still need a warm dry place to soak up some UV rays ... so for the purpose of the time being only, read the enclosed link and set up a basic environment to specifications. Meanwhile send pics and we'll go from there> Any help or advise you can give would be most appreciated! Sincerely Grandma <http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm> Re: care of a 2 in. alligator snapping turtle 9/30/09 Hi Barbara, Yes, what you have there is the Common Snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina. They make interesting pets but frankly they are a bit dangerous. The rules for keeping a snapping turtle are that you never, ever, ever ... for any reason .... put anything you care about anywhere near the front half of that animal. They're not actually mean ... but they have a very limited tolerance for anything moving around in front of their face before they'll strike out at it -- and once they grab a solid hold, they have the ability to hang on for very long periods. A 20 gallon aquarium (or similar container) with shallow water (no deeper than 4 inches) and a small place to haul out and dry off under a basking light is all that is required initially. If it's not an actual aquarium, make sure the sides are high enough that it can't climb. Feeding is simple -- Reptomin food sticks or Koi Pellets from the local pet store (same ingredients, just cheaper) will provide a fully balanced diet. They're interesting, low maintenance pets but on the other hand, they're very hardy animals that, with even minimal care, can grow to an extremely dangerous size in just a few years. So my advice on keeping it? ... maybe .. maybe not. But if you decide not, inquire around your city for a turtle and tortoise club to find someone with the desire and experience and please just don't release it. Best wishes Darrel

Turtle identification  8/18/09 Hello, <Hiya!> I'm Lotoya <I'm not! -- I'm Darrel> I'm just trying to identify the type of turtle that I have. Based on the receipt I received from the pet shop, it states that its a red ear slider. However, based on photos that I have found on the internet, it looks more like a yellow bellied slider, So I am just trying to confirm this with you guys. <Based on the lack of a bright red patch on the side of the head, generally around where we'd expect ears to be (hence the name Red "Eared" Slider as opposed to Red "Necked" Slider), this is indeed a one of any number of subspecies of Trachemys Scripta scripta, or Yellow Bellied Slider.> <Of course, if he sits around the house all day chewing tobacco, has a broke down pickup truck in his front lawn and a refrigerator on his front porch .... HE JUST MIGHT BE a REDNECK Yellow Bellied Slider!!!!!!> PS I have attached two photographs. <Larry is handsome> Thanks in advance for your help. <Here's some more help: a Complete Guide to caring for Larry: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm> Regards, Lotoya

Turtle Identification  7/14/2009 Can you all identify this baby turtle for me? <Yeah -- I think his name is Gary.> <He might be a baby Box turtle (Terrapene) or any one of a number of Emydid (water) turtles. The problem is that the straight on top angle gives us just a vague outline. We can tell he's not a mud, musk, soft-shell or snapping turtle. Not a Tortoise or a sea turtle. He's not a Clydesdale Horse either, but I suspect you already figured that out.> <What I'd really like is a couple of face shots and one from the side. Not glamour shots of course, no hair or makeup needed .. just a better angle to see his distinct features.> <Unless you mean that OTHER thing .... that's not a turtle at all, that's a quarter!> <Regards - Darrel>

what kind of turtle and how old is it 6/27/09 I know the attached is not a snapping turtle but I have never seen anything this big that was not, what is it and how old. <It's a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) generally have a row of spikes along the midline of the shell running along the spine, whereas Common Snapping Turtles do not. As for age, I have no idea. Captive specimens routinely live well over 20 years, and the record is around twice that. Given the apparent size of this specimen, it is probably going to be well over ten years old.> found in the Metro North Parking lot, in June, 2009 land put on side of road and let go. /Westchester County, NY <Cheers, Neale.>

Re: what kind of turtle and how old is it 6/27/09 I would never have guessed a snapping turtle. Thank you for your very prompt reply. John H Vargo, Publisher, Boatingonthehudson.com and boating on the Hudson & beyond mag. <Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>

What kind of turtle is this? 4/30/09 My little girl found this turtle while fishing and wanted to keep it. I would like to know what kind it is so I can give it the proper care it needs. <Hello James. The photos are too blurry to be able to tell anything much, but it would appear to be a Slider of some sort, Trachemys spp. So the basic requirements are not much different to the popular Red-ear Slider, as outlined here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm Now, before you give in to your daughter, think about how much it costs to keep one of these. Most Sliders are big and messy, eventually dinner plate-sized animals that need aquaria around 55 gallons in size, if not larger. Beside the tank, you'll need a big external canister filter just to keep the water clean and safe; without it, the water will become cloudy as well as toxic. Minimum, you want a filter rated at 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour; for a 55 gallon system, that's 330 gallons per hour. So, the filter and the aquarium are already setting you back the best part of $200. Next up is a heater (yes, you'll need one, because the turtle won't be able to hibernate in captivity when room temperature drops. Without a heater, it will quickly become plagued with respiratory tract infections that require care from your vet, not to mention all the other problems reptiles succumb to when they're cold. As if this wasn't enough, you'll also need a basking lamp, specifically a UV-B lamp, without which the turtle will rapidly become sick. It needs UV-B to perform certain chemical reactions associated with bone and shell formation, among other things. All told, you're going to be spending several hundred dollars. Because turtles grow rapidly, a smaller tank now (say, a 20 gallon system) would need to be upgraded within a couple of years. Finally, there's diet: turtles can't be maintained on "turtle food" from the pet shop, at least, not entirely. You need to augment their diet on a regular basis (i.e., every week) with fresh green foods. While not expensive, quite the contrary in fact, this underlines the fact that Sliders aren't "easy" pets. They're difficult to keep, expensive, and around children at least, potentially hazardous because Salmonella and other bacteria grow easily in their habitats (especially if said habitat isn't kept clean!). They aren't especially pretty when they mature (most become fairly dull green, and the yellow colour you see now will fade away) and certainly have no interest at all in being handled. What I'm trying to tell you is that you should stop and think EXTREMELY carefully before taking on the burden of a pet turtle. Much better to observe this animal in the wild -- where it belongs, frankly -- and enjoy it for what it is, a wild animal. Then maybe go with your daughter to a pet shop or book shop, buy a book about keeping pet reptiles, and then decide if you, as a family, are prepared to create a home for these admittedly fascinating animals. Cheers, Neale.>

Baby Turtle Identification – 01/22/09 Hello Crew, <Hiya Brittany, Darrel here tonight> I live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and I found a baby turtle inside the automotive shop where I work. I took the cute little thing home with me and it has done incredibly well thus far. I want to be sure I'm giving it the proper care though, and I haven't been able to figure out exactly what type of turtle it is. <That's a nice picture, Brittany. If you'll select Google Images and put in "Pseudemys" in the search bar, you'll come up with many pictures of the family -- of which the Red Eared Slider (p scripta elegans) is only one group. Many of the Cooters and Plain turtles are native to South Carolina as well.> I'd also like to know if it is male or female. <There are no visual difference at that size, Brittany, Turtles attain sexual maturity with SIZE, not age, so until Fabian gets larger none of the sexual differences will be visible. The GOOD news is that they don't seem to care, either. I have a female Florida Cooter named Albert and she seems to be just fine with that name.> I've had it in a tank with water and a place where it can climb up and a light, etc. Generally, he stays at the bottom unless he is eating and he likes to dig in his rocks and when I take him out of his tank to clean it he generally winds up burrowing himself in the folds of a towel. From what I can find on the Internet, he looks a lot like a red eared slider by his shell, but does not have red ears at all, so I'm confused. If you could help me determine what type of turtle I have and offer some tips on the best care and feeding it would be greatly appreciated. I've grown rather attached to the little guy. Welcome to my world, Brittany! They're fun and personable animals that, trust me, will grow on you and become a part of your family. Here are some pics of my family:> <http://www.xupstart.com/wwm> I've attached the only photo I have of him at the moment, please let me know if you need more/better photos. <Do the research Brittany, and after you make a more specific identification, write back with a pic of the two of you!> <As for care, it's Identical to the Red Eared Slider and here is THE BEST care sheet you'll ever need> <http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm> Thanks! Brittany <You're welcome!>

2 part question about turtles and identification   8/26/08 Dear Crew, <Hiya -- Darrel here> Ok, so this is a two part question, first what kind of turtle is this?? <Oh dear .. if I'd known there was going to be a test I'd have studied!!> <When I first looked at the pictures my sense was that it was a Rhinoclemys (a South American Wood Turtle). When young their carapace (top shell) is fairly flat and somewhat resembling an Pseudemys (the slider families) and as they mature it becomes more domed like a Box Turtle (Terrapene). In this case, Google is your friend. Try Rhinoclemys T  Terrapene and reeves turtle and see what you think> I got him from a lady who was not taking care of her and she gave her to me. After cleaning her up I put her in my 100gal tank with my RES who is a male (very long claws) who I have had for about a year, and is just a little smaller then the new turtle. <Not sure the new kid on the block is an aquatic turtle though -- from most aspects it appears to be semi-aquatic at best and needs more dry land. Your identification from more comparison photos will tell all.> The other day I noticed my RES vibrating his legs in her face, so he wants to mate with her, so if you know what kind of turtle this is, are they close enough for them to mate or is he barking up the wrong tree? <Yes, in this case my guess is that you're shaving the wrong beard, to make a different metaphor> thanks for your help! <I'm also passing your pictures along to a more learned colleague for his opinion. Neale?>

2 part question... Turtle ID, cross-breeding?   -08/27/08 Ok, so this is a two part question, first what kind of turtle is this?? <I have absolutely no idea. The fact the shell is domed rather than flat implies its either an amphibious or fully terrestrial species rather than a truly aquatic species. The front feet appear to lack webbing, but the back feed are webbed, so again, I'd tend to go with some type of amphibious rather than truly aquatic species. I would be keeping this species in an enclosure with equal amounts of water and land, and I'd also make sure the water wasn't too deep. But I really think you need to get in touch with a dedicated Chelonian support/rehoming site such as Turtle Homes: http://www.turtlehomes.org/ They have contacts and resources for identifying "mystery" Chelonians.> I got him from a lady who was not taking care of her and she gave her to me. After cleaning her up I put her in my 100gal tank with my RES who is a male (very long claws) who I have had for about a year, and is just a little smaller then the new turtle. the other day I noticed my RES vibrating his legs in her face, so he wants to mate with her, so if you know what kind of turtle this is, are they close enough for them to mate or is he barking up the wrong tree? thanks for your help! <They are absolutely not the same species! Male Red-ear Sliders will attempt to mate with anything. So long as he isn't harassing her, I wouldn't worry too much. Cheers, Neale.>

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>>

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>

Red Eared Slider? 2/24/04
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have a turtle and I don't know what kind it is.
<1st of all, I must insist you write in sentences & use capital letters when necessary.  All the questions sent to us are posted on our website & I have to take a lot of time to correct this, before I can send it on to the site.  This takes time away from answering other questions.>
I need to find out because I have a project that I have to do.
<What kind of project?>
It is about the size of a half dollar and it has kind of diamond shapes in the middle of its shell. It has like brownish red by its ears. It is green and yellow do you know what kind it is?
<It sounds like a red-eared slider.  Is this your turtle? http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/wild/reptiles/slider.htm>
I could really use some help!
<I'm surprised you were able to purchase this turtle at that size.  It is illegal to purchase aquatic turtles under 5", due to their carrying salmonella bacteria.  Good luck with your project.  I hope it is not harmful to the turtle in any way.  These turtles need clean filtered water.  They need a lot of swimming room, & a piece of land to bask on, with a heat lamp above.  Small strips of fish, krill, shrimp, crickets & worms are what they like to eat.  They also need a source of minerals for their shell, by vitamins & a sulfa rock in the water.  ~PP>

A Red Ear is a Terrapin is a RES!
>Hi there,
>I didn't see anything that would help me on the postings. I have two RES's and they came from the same tank which was much small than the 55 gallon that I have put them in.  One is about 5 inches and the other is
>3 inches in length.  I have notices that the bigger one is attacking the smaller one biting at its head and feet and tail.  I am not sure what to do or if I can stop it?
>thanks,
>Adaniel  
>***I'm sorry, what exactly is a RES?
>Jim*** >
<Hey Amanda, you've confused us all.  What is a RES?  If you could give us a little more information I hope we can help you.  Thanks MacL>
>HUH?
>>>Hello,
Having finally been enlightened as to what "RES" means (you gratuitous abbreviator you) I can make sense of your post. I'm actually quite a reptile geek, but my experience is mostly with monitor lizards, other lizards and various snakes. I suggest you post your question on a herp site such as Kingsnake.com. Or, call East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley Ca.
Best of luck.
Jim<<<

South American Wood Turtle
I am having trouble finding anything on the Suriname wood turtle. Is it the same as the North American turtle?
<No, totally different species.>
And also what type of habitat, food they need to have for a long healthy live. thank you for your time
< Your semi-aquatic (Rhinoclemys punctularia) will need an area that is partial aquarium and partial terrarium. They can be kept like regular wood turtles except that they need to be kept between 75 and 85 degrees. North American turtles are sometimes cooled down for hibernation. Do a Google search on the scientific name or South American Wood Turtle and you will find lots of info on your turtle.-Chuck>

Small turtle my cat brought home
Hi <Hi, MikeD here> I was wondering if you could help? First my cat brought home a very small
turtle slightly bigger than a quarter amazingly it was and is still alive. I have tried to find out it's type. we are in Maine, the small critter has an almost rounded dark shell, with an orangey/yellow bottom shell. the back legs have red stripes and the front legs as well as the throat area has yellow stripes and nothing on top but two small yellow dots on either side of its head.
< Most likely it's an Eastern Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta>
there are several ponds miles down the dirt road. I am sure the bass one of which I caught (4lbs) would enjoy this little critter as a snack.
<They would!>
I have decided to try and keep it as I love turtles and am willing to spend what it needs for its care. The way I see it I already have 18 pets what's one more! Do you have an idea as to what kind it could be?<See above, Eastern Painted turtle>any special care tips?
<To do it right you need a small aquarium,50%water/50% land and a good herp light. Herp vitamins/calcium help too>
 thank you for your help my e-mail address is XXXX@aol.com if you would be kind enough to respond there. thanks again
<You're welcome. Hope it helps a little> Marcee

Is It a Chicken, or a Turtle? No! It's the Eastern Chicken Turtle
Hi I've just recently brought an eastern long neck turtle.  It's about 2 years old.  I was just wondering how much food and what food is the best to feed him.
< You probably are referring to an Eastern Chicken turtle. This is an aquatic turtle that does well on meal worms, earthworms, crickets, king worms, trout chow, fish and commercially available turtle food. A varied diet is best. Feed him once a day so that most of it is gone after a couple minutes. As the weather warms up then his metabolism will increase and he will need to be fed a little more and maybe a couple times a day.-Chuck>