Lookat thispicture...what kind of turtle is this? I need to know if I should let it go!?

Question

My husband found this little guy at work and thought it would be cute to bring home for the kids because they have been wanting one. He seems to be doing fine right now but I want to know if I should let them keep him or let him go....it all depends on what kind of turtle he is. Here's a picture of him....

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l162/ahammondtx/april009.jpg

Sorry my space bar kept sticking!!!!

Answer 1

This appears to be a red eared slider. these are fairly common in the pet trade right now. These turtles can get up to 12 inches long. If you intend to keep him, I would recommend getting a very large aquarium for him (for every inch of turtle, he needs 10 gallons of water, and if you spring for a large tank now, you won't have to continually get progressively bigger tanks as he grows).

I know that here in my state (Texas) red eared sliders are an invasive species. Many people buy them when they are small and cute, and let them go when they realize that they aren't going to stay small. this is not a good idea, because it leads to a higher population of red eared sliders, and they out compete other native species for resources.

If you still want to keep him, you are going to need to get a basking light (uv/heat light), and a basking sight where he can get out of the water completely. and you will need to provide him with proper food. Baby sliders like lots of protien. (try meal worms, frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, coat some reptile pellets in calcium powder and offer them to him as well. growing turtles need lots of calcium. offer him plants too (not spinach because it is too high in iron, and makes it hard for him to absorb calcium). He probably wont want to eat the plants, but continue to offer them (he will want them when he is older). Try live plants like elodia. they will not decay in the water because they are alive, and then he can eat them when he feels like it. live guppies in the tank are good enrichment and exercise for him too. My turtle loved them! (and they bred in the tank, providing a constant supply)

Turtles are very sensitive to water quality, and need consistantly clean water. So, you will either need to invest in a very good filter, or be prepared to do a lot of water changes. If you put rocks in the tank, make sure they are much bigger than his head, so that he is not tempted to eat them (they can cause impaction).

on top of all of the care that a turtle requires, you must also take into consideration their life span. they can live WELL over twenty years in captivity. Are you prepared to take on that kind of responsibility and commitment? If not, I would say don't keep him.

This may seem like a lot of work, but really, it isnt much more than any other pet. However, after all of this, if you decide that you really don't want to keep this little guy, I would find a reptile rescue group, and give him to them. at least then, he will not be out at risk of predation, or (eventually) adding to the already too big population of red eared sliders. Good luck with him, and I hope this helps you in your decision.

(By the way, there are smaller water turtle species that make cute pets. mud and musk turtles both get to be about four inches in lenght when they are grown. Which means they can live in a 40 gallon tank. If you don't end up keeping this guy, do a little research, and maybe look into a smaller/different species!)

Answer 2

They will close to definitely live to tell the tale for a even as, and be competent to discover meals, and so on. They could no longer be competent to discover a well hibernation website in time, however the water remains to be lovely hot in so much areas. If you must unlock them, a town park is a wise choice. Releasing captive animals within the wild is a horrible factor to do for a few causes. One purpose is that animals residing close individuals decide on up many forms of germs and the animals get partial resistance to them. In the wild, the animals infect the wild populace and the sickness can devestate the unprepared populace. In a town park, that's much less of a crisis. I could STRONGLY select that you just attempt to provide the turtles away or undertake them out- however as you will have found out, no longer that many individuals wish gigantic turtles.

Answer 3

He is a red eared slider and they do make good pets if you have the room for a tank the size of a kiddie pool because they get very large and live about 20-25 years. They don't make good pets for young kids they can't be handled much. They need 75% water and 25% land. They also need a UVB light, a basking light, a basking spot, and a filter.

Answer 4

I had the very same kind of turtle before. However, Buddy got sick and died not too long after i got him, so I'm not sure what size they get to be. My turtle's symptoms were ( watch out for these things if you intend to keep it ) not running as much, he was very excited when I brought him in the biggest room of the house most of the time, until he got sick, the top of his shell became slimy and i had to wipe the goop off often and then I had him in the bathtub in luke-warm water and he died.( I only put him ih the water in the tub because he was sick, not because he lived there).

Answer 5

It is a Red-ear Slider, and it is probably not going to be a good idea to release it in the wild. Even if it is native to your area, unless you can release them close to their original home they probably will not survive.

On the other hand, this can take some work to set up a turtle-friendly habitat to keep it happy and healthy.

Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com or http://www.redearslider.com for more info.

Answer 6

if u let it go it will die. its a red eared slider.