Aquatic Gardens Ponds, Streams, Waterfalls & Fountains: Volume 1. Design & Construction Volume 2. Maintenance, Stocking, Examples V. 1 Print and eBook on Amazon V. 2 Print and eBook on Amazon   by Robert (Bob) Fenner

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 [email protected] 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>