ive just got two yeloww bellied turtles. i got them as a present.?

Question

ive two question . how do i tell if they're male or female and does anyone have tips on caring for them i.e what should be in the tank , how to feed them properly?? any help would be great !! :)

one of the turtles is yelloworange on the underside , the other is yellow with circular balck/white markings does this mean anything ?

Answer 1

Here is a website all about them..
http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/choosing-a-yellow-bellied-slider/page1.aspx

Oh and the sex it matters the size of their front nails, if they're long then it's a male if they're short than it's a female. If it has a thick tail it's a male if it's a tiny tail it's a female

This turtle is a male:
http://www.chelonia.org/TscriptaelegansJHs2F.jpg
http://www.picolio.com/g2/d/52390-2/Trigger103003c.jpg

This turtle is female:
http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall01%20projects/resliderjuvenille.jpg
http://www.picolio.com/g2/d/52382-2/Lumpy103003b.jpg

It is illegal to sell a turtle under 4 inches, so it should be of age to tell its sex.

FYI: My red eared slider (almost the same species) will only eat live minnows (little fish). B/c they are alive and she is young. Younger turtles eat more animal than plant and then older turtles eat more plant than animal.

Answer 2

It is nearly impossible to determine the sex of young turtles. This usually takes about 4 years before the differences show.

As for cares, etc. try http://ww.redearslider.com (Yellow-bellies are very close relatives with the same basic cares.)

Briefly, they want three things:

1. Good water- lots of clean, warm (75-80F) water.

2. Good sun- good basking sites, well-lit, and heated to about 90F. UVB light is helpful.

3. Good food- try 1/2 pellets, and 1/2 live or frozen/thawed fish foods like worms, shrimp, krill, beef heart, insects, etc.

They take a little money and work, but can be great pets if you enjoy turtles! Good luck!

Answer 3

to tell whether your turtles are female or male, females will have short claws-short tail, with males will have long claws-long tail. but you can tell the sex of you turtles much better when they reach about a year old.

to care for you turtles, you will need to provide a good tank/container. a 20 gallon is good for now, but later on you would want to upgrade bigger. you need to provide them with a water heater with the temperature of 75-80 degrees, a good filter, a ramp/dock and a UV light for basking. you can feed your turtle a variety of food such as pellets, vegetables/fruits, and live food (minnows/crickets). you need to feed your turtle a good amount according to the size of their head. if they are babies feed everyday and if their about 4 inches, feed other day. don't feed too much because they will start to pyramid. so, i say about 4-5 pellets each day would be fine. it be best if you feed your turtles in a separate container than eating from their tank/container. it will help your tank/container be cleaner. hope this helps =)