do you know turtles?

Question

ok i have this reallly small painter turtle i found. it's about the size of a quater! anyways, i kept it and i'm keeping it in a nice cage w/ food, fake weeds, and a shell moisterizer alone w/ sand and a rock to sit on. and i keep him out side in the shade (not very dark shade though) just so his cage doesn't get hot. and i clean it after every two days. and i live on a lake so when i go swimming i bring him down there w/ me and let him swim in the water (while im right there so he don't get away)
so i have a few questions and here they are...

- how can you tell if a painter turtle is a male or female?

- how long does it take for painter turtle eggs to hatch after layed?

-i think my turtle has a wonderful enviroment don't u?

BTW- u can have turtles as pets! idk wut the frick u guys r saying, just make sure they have a nice home!

Answer 1

The eggs take about 65-80 days to hatch.

Here is a link with photos that explains sexing painted turtles:
http://www.chelonia.org/sexing/sexing_Chrysemys_picta.htm


Truthfully, some states do require a permit in order to capture or keep a Painted Turtle. I don't know where you live but in Pennsylvania where I live you DO need a license to capture and possess painted turtles! You might be breaking the law where you live.
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/education/catalog/pictathousand.pdf

Aquatic turtles are actually rather difficult and expensive to care for properly. Most people do not realize this. If you are going to try to keep the animal please do extensive research on turtle care. Do you know about the needs of a reptile for basking temperatures? Its UV light requirements? Do you know what it needs nutritionally? Frankly, IMHO, I think you should just let it go. If you don't provide for all its needs it is going to sicken and die. Some concerns I already have - he can't get UV sunlight with his cage in the shade. He can't regulate his temp being trapped in a cage in the shade. Also, what are you feeding? Also, he should be allowed to soak in water whenever he needs to, not just when you feel like swimming. Lack of UV light and not being able to soak will cause all kinds of problems with constipation and with calcium metabolism and his carapace (shell).

Some links to get you started:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilesturtles/a/aquaticturtles.htm

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm

Answer 2

ok well then. i don't know exactly what a "shell moisterizer " is whether it is a mister or a water dish or why a shell needs moisterized but that is something i don't even know how to go into or try and understand. any way the set up not great. it should be in the sun for the uva and uvb rays so that it can metabolize vitamins. and becasue it is cold blooded it neds the heat. but don't let it get over heat. it needs a hide box or shade spot also the water should be partly in shade to help keep it from overheateing when in the sun.

and fiy its a painted not painter turtle

you sound like you are somewhat clueless to the bigger things but have the basic mostly down so here twoo of the best website you'll ever find about turtles.

www.turtlecare.net/
www.austinsturtlepage.com/


hope this helps

Answer 3

Actually, no, I'm sorry, but your turtle is not in a wonderful environment. Because you took it from the wild, it is most likely extremely stressed and will probably die. Not only that, shad is bad for them. They need full spectrum lighting (or if you're inside, they need a UVB bulb and a basking heat bulb) over the dock (land) area, and need alot of clean, filtered water to stay healthy. They also need a varies diet, and when young, need lots of protein. And it is also probably not a 'painted turtle'. Odds is that it is a red eared slider turtle. If you care about the turtle, you'll let it go. If not, you need to do some serious reading on how to care for it because those turtles can die very quickly from soft-shell disease, metabolic bone disease, and shell rot if you don't keep it properly.

Answer 4

Hee hee I like how you put in the last question! He has water right? Sounds like he is a great little pet. You wont be able to tell the gender until they are much older. Here is a nice simple care sheet. http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/189.html and when it says "concave" it means the bottom shell will curve inward slightly down towards the tail. The males will also have long and thick claws much longer then a females. (you will be able to tell the difference. here is another care sheet http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/1592.html (same site different person's care sheet)

Good Luck.

Answer 5

No, you're not going to like my answer...I don't think your turtle has a wonderful environment because you took it from its natural environment and are keeping it captive. Wild animals should never be taken for pets...in fact, in some states, it is illegal to take any wild animal and keep it without the proper permits.

It would be so much better if you released your captives back into their natural environment and went to a pet store or a licensed breeder and got animals that were bred to be pets.

Answer 6

I observed an episode of Franklin (the turtle) the place he replaced into afraid to sleep in his shell at night. WTF is with that? If the shell comes off, why even undertaking going back in that slimey ingredient to sleep? Use a blanket. i do no longer think of turtles come out of their shells. that is like ripping each and every of the floor off your back, isn't it?

Answer 7

Actually, it doesn't sound to me like you understand reptiles at all. So, no, I don't think your "painter" (they are actually called painted turtles) has a wonderful environment.
I think your turtle is not going to live very long.