Please help me with my turtle.?

Question

I recently bought a turtle from south carolina in myrtle beach. it was a mistake but i live in ohio and i am back. i have no idea how to take care of him or what kind on turtle he is. PLEASE HELP! (mainly how to care for them) here is a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/83792481@N08/7665484108/in/photostream

Answer 1

She is a juvenile yellow-bellied slider. Latin name is Trachemys scripta scripta. I say she (guessing at this young age) because of the short front claws.



As an adult she'll be about the size of a dinner plate - a very large pond turtle and she'll need a tank of about 50-75 gals minimum. For now she'd like one that is half to 3/4 water and the rest land. About 10 gallons would work well. She needs to be able to swim and to eat in the water but she also needs a place to lay out and stay warm. Special turtle lamps are important for her best health.



Fish can't live in her aquarium with her - she'll make a fast snack of them. She'd like snails too. Another yellow-belly can live with her but she'd likely fight with other sorts of pond turtles.



Your local pet store has tanks, heaters, filters, lights, and food especially for her happiness.



http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-yellowbelly.htm is a good care sheet for your new turtle friend. Don't let her get cold - get her a good habitat soon.

Answer 2

It looks like either a redeared slider or a cooter or some kind, and they are closely related. I wouldn't say it was a mistake, but if it is a baby (an inch or two across) then only put enough water in there so it can sit on the bottom and stick its head above water, until it learns to swim and breathe the right way. If you will go to a pet store and buy Reptomin turtle food and put some of that in there (just a few at first until it learns to eat it) and keep it about 80 degrees then it will grow pretty fast and you will have a good turtle pet that you can have for a long time. If you keep it too cool then it won't eat. turtles don't digest very well so clean out its water all the time so it doesn't smell bad. You can put guppies in there and it will eat them too. It will like earthworms too. Live food will reeeeally foul up your water fast so you will need to clean it more often. Look for red ear sliders on google and it will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about them and how to take care of them. Once it has grown some them it will be sooooo easy to take care of you will wonder why everyone doesn't have one! But as a baby they can be kinda tricky at first until it 1) learns to swim and breathe without drowning (so low water), and 2) learns to eat what you put in there for it to eat (some babies are pretty stubborn at first about only eating live food), and 3) you learn how to take care of it and not keep it too cool or too warm. I have had a Painted Turtle for about ten years (!!!) and killed others before that by not taking care of them. But they are easy to take care of onc ethey have grown some.

Answer 3

Go to a pet supply store or just a pet store and ask them for advice and tips, also, Goigle how to take care of turtles. My friend has an aquatic turtle and he has to be in a fish tank. If you know what speciese of turtle he is that also helps.