Does anybody know a thing or two about baby turtles...????

Question

I want a baby turtle and my mom says I can get one but I need to know how to take care of it... what do they eat, what to do when they get sick, do they have parasites you know the basics?

Answer 1

you can't get enough info here, please purchase a book and read up on the turtles BEFORE you get one so you know exactly how to care for it, your turtle will thank you

Answer 2

1. Baby turtles are illegal to sell in the US, and anyone who sells you one will be breaking the law. They do it all the time anyway- sometimes they have you sign a piece of paper which has no legal validity.

2. Baby turtles are actually mildly hard to care for well. You've got to set up a good habitat which will cost you several dollars. Once you get the habitat set up, it gets a lot easier.

3. Turtles (in your case, probably Red-ear sliders or Painted turtles) love space, warmth, sunlight, cleanliness, and a good diet.

4. Space: Aim for at least 10 gallons per inch of turtle. Your little baby will be 4" long in about a year, so have an idea now of how to offer it a 40 gallon swimming pool. Many of us use big plastic tubs- cheap, easy to clean, and actually better for the turtle since clear walls confuse them.

Besides the water, you'll need at least one good basking site that lets the turtle get dry, will not scratch or hurt it, and that it can climb on easily. Driftwood, rock piles, 'ramps' that hang on the side, etc. will all work. (Make sure that whatever you use does not offer places that can trap the turtle underwater.)

5. Warmth: Use a good thermostatic aquarium heater to keep the water around 75-80F. Use a good heat lamp on a timer to heat the basking site to about 90F during the day. Note- too cool temps are one of the biggest problems most pet turtles face!

6. Sunlight: Turtles worship the sun, and need UV-B rays for health. Sadly, UV-B does not penetrate most glass or plastic so we need to use a god light bulb that provides this. Some reptile bulbs work nicely as long as they advertise UV-B (not just UV or UV-A). Put the bulb on a timer to make your life easier.

7. Cleanliness: Filter the water with a good filter rated about 2-3 times stronger than a same-size fish tank would need. You'll still need to change the water sometimes, but it will really help both you and the turtles. (But make sure that they can't get stuck or sucked in!)

8. Diet: This is another key issue for healthy turtles. Baby turtles eat only meats- small fish, bugs, worms, shrimp, beef heart, etc. (NO hamburger or hot dogs!) You can use good quality turtle pellets for 25-50% of the diet, but the rest should be live or frozen/thawed 'fish foods'. Babies especially like live bloodworms.

You can learn a lot more at one of these sites:
http://www.redearslider.com
http:/www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 3

I think Madkins007 gave a very good answer. I just want to add that after you get your turtle, make sure you thoroughly wash your hands before AND after handling the turtle, cleaning out the tank, etc. Turtles can carry salmonella, which can make you very sick. I'm not trying to scare you, but if you plan on getting a turtle you need to be aware of this fact.

Also, NEVER release a captive turtle into the wild. They will not know how to fend for themselves, will be very susceptible to infections, and will probably die. If you get a turtle, be prepared for a big commitment, as they can live for many, many years.

Answer 4

I would recoment that you DO NOT get a turtle! If you dont know what to feed them or how to care for them now, and you would have STILL bought one anyways, that would be horrible! Yes, turtles under 4 inches are illegal to sell because in the 70's little kids put baby red ear sliders in their mouths, resulting in a e. coli epidemic. The FDA passed the law to prevent this. I dont care about the law though, if I want a baby turtle, I am going to buy it, no if ands or buts. I currently have a 6 inch 3-toed box turtle, so I would LOVE to see a little kid fit her in their mouth ROFL!

Answer 5

appears like those wonderful "little" turtles are purple Ear Sliders. Please pay attention that they are lovable at that length yet State regulations are that no water turtle may be LEGALLY bought below 6 inches. And particular, i'm being amazing approximately this. There basically are quite a few info which you ought to understand in the past you purchase ANY water turtle. I presently have 3 a million & a million/2 year previous water turtles myself. maximum enhance to the size of dinner plates ( approximately 12 inch shell length). they are going to, interior of a year, require a pond length of water area. determine 10 gallons consistent with turtle for each inch of shell length. they are meat eaters yet will additionally consume some vegatables and end result. they must be maintained in a water temp of 70-seventy six levels. They require all UV lights and can have a close by to get out of the water to bask. they are vulnerable to respiration infections. They (residing interior the water they poop in) are carriers of salmonella bacteria. They stay VERY long lives and you ought to have them for something of your existence!! The poop super. the bigger they get the bigger the poop. in no way feed them via hand through fact they don't understand hand from food and whilst mature (they mature at 5 years lod) they might destroy finger bones and that they do no longer permit pass. Now, it relatively is to no longer say that they do no longer make neat pets....they do, different than they are an fairly intense priced puppy which you would be able to no longer work together with. Please do lots on line examine in the past you communicate approximately finding out to purchase those wonderful "little" infants.

Answer 6

Most turtles get quite large. Map turtles and red eared sliders get to be a foot or so across. Make sure you can accommodate such a large creature for a very long time.

What kind of turtle do you want to get and I can give you more info.

Answer 7

to Madkins00...when did it become illegal to sell turtles? i see them being sold all the time.
to the author of the the question...if you live close enough to the countryside...go outside and find one...its alot cheaper than buying one at a pet store and much more personal...i had 2 alligator snapping turtles and they were great...not hard to take care of...all i did was clean their tank twice a week(gets kinda smelly) till they were big enough to go in my back yard and then i dug a hole in the ground and put a kids plastic pool in it and way for they to climb in and out and fed them fish or any kind of meat...they also ate plants but thats when they were outside...i had them for 10 years...great pets!!!

Answer 8

get a musk (stink pot) baby turtle. they dont get large at all...theres actually a site that will sell you a quarter sized baby for $25, but youll need a large tank, water, heater, bask light, larger rocks and food. go to the library and get a book