What kind of turtle do i have and what does it eat?

Question

I found a turtle outside, and my place is like a desert, i feed it lettuce but he doest drink. well i gave him like a 4 inch cup and i think he spilled it, then i gave it a rectangular bowl and it was pretty big and pretty small bowl but it seems to use it as a bath.
its kinda the size of a babies head.
i have a 2 inch turtle but in a tank i feed it some food they gave me with it, um but the outside turtle doesn't seem it like it, I'm a turtle lover and really want to give this fellow a good welcome to his new home.

What type of turtle is it, and any clue on what it's suppose to eat?

Answer 1

Safe Feeding List
Commercial Foods (This is just a few of them on the market)

• Tetra Reptomin
• Zoo Med’s Aquatic Turtle Food
• Exo Terra
• Wardley's Reptile Premium Sticks
• HBH Turtle Bites

Frozen/Canned (For treats)
• Spirulina-enriched Brine Shrimp
• Bloodworms
• Plankton
• Krill
• Zoo Med’s Can O'Crickets, Grasshoppers, or Meal Worms

Live Foods (Carnivorous)
• Aquatic Snails/Apple Snails/Water Snails
• Crickets (Gut-Loaded)
• Earthworms, Night Crawlers
• Ghost Shrimp
• Guppies or Rosey (no goldfish they are too fatty and have very little nutritional value)
• Mealworms
• Pinhead Crickets (for smaller turtles)
• Slugs
• Wax Worms, Super Worms

**be careful about Wild-Caught foods, they can carry parasites that can be transferred to your turtle. Freezing Wild-Caught foods for a month will help to kill off some parasites.

Fruits (small amounts for treats only)
• Apples
• Bananas
• Cantaloupe/Common Melon
• Figs
• Grapes (remove skin so it’s easier for them to pick at)
• Mango
• Melon
• Papaya
• Pear
• Tomato
• Strawberries
• Water Melon (Feed rarely)

**should be cut up in small, bite-size or match-like sticks that will be easy for the turtle to bite into and not choke on.

Vegetables
• Beans
• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Squash
• Sweet Potato [cooked - boiled/ steamed/baked]
• Peas
• Pumpkin
• Zucchini


Greens & Other Leafy Products
• Collards Greens
• Dandelion Greens
• Kale
• Mustard leaves
• Radish leaves
• Red Leaf Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce
• Turnip Greens


**Stay away from Spinach. Make sure to cut the veggies in bite-size or match-like sticks so your turtle can eat them easily. Iceberg lettuce is good filler, but contains little/no nutritional value!

Aquatic Plants
• Anacharis
• Duckweed
• Hornwort
• Water Hyacinth
• Water Lettuce
• Water Lily

http://www.turtleexchange.com/forum/inde...

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This is for one so would have to go 4 times the amount .Don’t Let them eat until they are full....one over-sized turtle!!!!

Hatchlings up to 3-4 inches
once a day
1-2 pellets, treat of protein, offering of plant matter, small 2 cm block of cuttlebone every 3 days

Sub Adults 4-8 inches
Feed every 1-2 days
2- 3 pellets, protein
large plant section
cuttlebone 3-4 cm every 3-4 days

Adult 8 inches or larger
feed every 2-3 days
3-4 pellets, protein- medium amount ex....couple of greens dandelion leaves
whole cuttlebone

Answer 2

It's impossible to tell what kind of turtle you have with the description, or actually the lack of description you have given here. I totally agree with Madkins that a wild turtle should be left in the wild. If you are truly a "turtle lover" then why would you imprison this poor guy and force it to have to deal with your ignorance? It's always a good idea to research any animal you want to keep BEFORE inflicting your good intentions upon an animal you know nothing about. This turtle can surely provide for itself better than you can, so do the turtle lover thing and let it go.

Answer 3

There are photo galleries at www.chelonia.org and at www.turtleforum.com

Does it have any stripes or coloration on the head and legs? Does it have any pattern on the shell? What colors are the top shell? Does it have a hinge on the bottom shell? Are the hind feet webbed?

In what state are you located? Try soaking the turtle in a pan, like a dish pan or Rubbermaid container, with an inch or two of water, to see if it will drink.

You really should try one of the turtle forums at www.groups.yahoo.com or http://www.turtleforum.com so you can get more direct replies to help this turtle. If it's a native turtle, it would be best to let it go after you know it's drank it's fill.

Answer 4

A description would really help. you can also try the World of Turtles gallery at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

I am wondering if it is a Desert Tortoise- in which case LET IT GO ASAP! These guys are both VERY protected by law, AND very hard for the average keeper to keep.

No matter what it is, wild turtles do best in the wild. If you wish a pet turtle, try a captive bred Box Turtle or something as a starter.

Answer 5

Are there any markings or anything else that would make it easier to identify? Most desert animals get their water from the foods they eat. If it is eating lettuce well, try giving it some bits of cactus (like prickly pear), squash, or snowpeas. I've included a link with some suggestions for vegetarian lizard diets. If he prefers to bathe in the water, let him. It will help him cool down. Also try feeding him some crickets or mealy worms to see if he might be an insectivore.

Answer 6

it may be a box turtle and they eat vegatables