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>

Texas Map Turtle Questions   7/19/07 Hi, <Hiya right back> First, I just want to thank you all for your site. I wish I had found it before I got these two, but now that I know you are our there, I will definitely come back whenever questions arise. <Thank you -- we're freeway close & open 24 hours!> I am having a few problems. I got two male Texas Map turtles from a breeder. I had done a lot of research into their needs prior to getting them, and you can see their current habitat in one of the pictures. I chose this type as they are the smallest of the map turtles (males only reach between 2-4 inches) and are known for their shy disposition. Well, the breeder had sent me pictures of the remaining males he had left, and I picked out the two I liked. I was hesitant at first because the one that seemed very active and walking all around had a spot on his shell, but the breeder reassured me that he was just shedding. And sure enough, I discovered that young turtles shed fairly frequently. So I chose that one and the other one that was of about equal size. They were slightly larger than a quarter, and have grown a little in the month since I have gotten them. They were 3-3 1/2 months when I got them, so now they are 4-4 1/2 months. <Those are a couple of nice looking turtles! Did the breeder tell you how he was differentiating the sex of hatchlings?> I set their habitat up in a 28 gallon elliptical aquarium. It has a basking spot on a turtle dock that gets up to 84 degrees. There is a Reptofilter that I change frequently and an underwater heater that maintains the water between 75-78 degrees. The gravel is also sloped so that they can get partially out. I also put many aquatic plants in there, which I know may be devoured, but so far they rarely eat them and prefer to just hang out on them. I also have a light that provides UVB 7% stationed above the portion of their aquarium that is not covered by glass as I know those rays won't penetrate through them. Their basking spot is on a timer because I am afraid the lamp itself will get too hot; they're used to it and I keep it on for at least a 1/2 hour after they've eaten if it's on off at that time. The UVB light stays on for about 12 hours a day. <That's admirable attention to their needs and nothing cries out for change here. The only things I'd consider are this: Map turtles generally don't walk around on land the way Sliders, Cooters and others sometimes do -- they're far more likely to just bask on logs or rocks than to climb out on a bank, so the next time you rearrange things for whatever reason, creating a log-like structure that arcs out of and back into the water might be a bit more natural for them. Second, I'd lower the water temp about 5 degrees.> I feed them a large variety. I hand feed them around 3-4 Reptomin baby pellets mixed with calcium powder at least once a day. I normally feed them twice a day, which I will reduce once they get bigger and then feed them every other day. They also get live ghost shrimp, Tucker eats live snails (Peek-a-boo won't touch them), sometime feeder guppies, crickets dusted with calcium powder. I have tried many different types of fruits/vegetables but they don't eat them. I have read that as they grow older they will want more plant matter, but right now they occasionally munch on the plants, but very rarely. <They may or may not change -- turtles have a funny way of deciding on their own what they will and won't do as they grow up. I'd reduce the feedings sooner, though. Remember these little guys have a very easy life -- YOU do all the work, so over feeding, growing too fast and being obese is a major health consideration.> Now to the problems they are having. They love me and always come up to the glass when I walk by and we play the "chase my finger around in the water and then get held" game. However, they seemed to fight and nip at each other when I am around, like trying to get attention. Now I normally stick both hands in, one for each turtle. However, I noticed today and yesterday that they seem to fight even when I am not where they can see me. They chase each other and bite at each others shells and head. I am just concerned that one of them is going to get hurt. I don't have room to separate them by getting a whole other set-up and although I was planning on getting them a larger tank once they were larger, I would prefer to wait on that as well. Is there something that I can do to alleviate this situation? They never seem to have marks or be hurt from this. I just want to make sure that doesn't happen. <I've never known what goes on in their little turtle brains while swimming around thinking their turtle thoughts. It's unlikely territorial, since they're often found in groups in the wild (not gangs -- just many turtles inhabiting the same area). To my knowledge there haven't been studies on social structures of water turtles, but I've always guessed that it's some sort of instinctive behavior -- they seem to do it in phases and they survive. I wouldn't worry about it unless you see some damage.> Second problem, as you can see from the pictures, they have white spots on their shells. I was told this was shedding, but the scutes don't seem to be falling off. These spots are not soft, so I don't think it is fungus. I did put in a sulfa block just to make sure they don't get an infection. I just wanted reassurance that this is normal looking because I really feel that these spots should have gone away by now (I got them about a month ago.) <My guess would be fungus -- keep in mind that the shells are porous under a microscope and the fungus gets down in those pores, so it looks and feels solid to our eyes. I personally have no faith in the sulfa - water treatments. The concentration would have to be very, very high to be effective. Here's a link to a previously described treatment for suspected bacteria or fungus. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/turtshelrotfaq2.htm> Also, the dark area in between the scutes is increasing. Is that because they are growing? Around the edge of their shells, it is lighter in color. Is that normal? There shell is hard, yet on the edges can bend slightly, is that because it is just thin from being so young? <Yes and Yes. Everything here is just fine.> I heard it would be a good idea to let them be outside (supervised of course) for a couple hours a day. Is that true and what would I put them in? Would they need like a bowl with water and a rock to get out on? <Sunlight is an amazing benefit. Your care and attention so far is exemplary, but read this article and read the comments about sunlight, filtering and water temp. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm> I know I am asking a lot of questions, but I would rather ask and find out what needs to be done to help them, than end up with even bigger problems down the road. If there is anything else you recommend for me setup, please let me know. I want these two to have the best possible life I can give them. <Right you are. Reptiles, like fish, are very stoic. A sick animal often shows no outward signs at all until they very suddenly appear SO sick that saving them is practically impossible. Fish and reptiles are all about that proverbial "ounce of prevention" being worth a "pound of cure." So keep asking and keep up the good work!> Thanks again in advance. Sincerely, Sara <Happy to be of service - Darrel> Re: Texas Map Turtle Questions – 07/19/07 Hi, <Hiya Sara. Thanks for the quick reply, I will try to do something for the white spots. However, I see many different responses on the link you provided. One recommended vinegar, another a type of athlete's foot cream, an another iodine. Which do you suggest I start with? <They're all valid -- I often start with vinegar because I can bet that most people have that, whereas a trip to the store is a bit harder. Sometimes we're responding to kids who likely don't have the resources to run to a store or make a trip to the vet, etc. so that's why you'll see a wide variety of options. Me? I'd run to the drug store for miconazole or such> Also, this part of my question, was not replied to, possibly because it is just the same as the white spots on the carapace. If it is, please forgive me for resending it. <quite right. From here, using pics, white spots look like white spots, so I deleted that paragraph as redundant to our general readership -- I shoulda notated as such, sorry.> Sincerely, Sara <Darrel>