I'v had a baby turtle for about a month. I'm concerned however because it doesn't bask. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Knowing the species and set-up would allow us to help more effectively, but I would guess that it is unhappy with the conditions.

In general, turtles want three things:

1. Good water- 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, warmed to 75-80F, and kept very clean with a good filter.

2. Good sun- a safe and accessible basking site warmed to 90F, a tank that is well-illuminated for about 10 hours a day with some shady spots, and UVB if possible.

3. Good food- a mix of 1/2 good pellets and 1/2 live or frozen/thawed 'fish foods' like small fish, shrimp, krill, insects, worms, etc.

Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for more specific ideas.

Answer 2

Baby turtles are usually very skittish and scared of new surroundings. It's probably just not used to seeing such a large person hovering around. If you're providing the right conditions and your turtle is in good health, then it is basking. It's probably basking while you're not there. A possible solution is dusting your basking dock with cuttlebone or calcium, and then check to see if there are any "footprints". Or another way to do it is during morning hours, sneak up on your turtle and try to get a peek at it without it seeing you =) Good luck!