How do i know what kind of turtle i have? Picture included?

Question

I just found a turtle walking in my garden but there is no water near hear at all, no lakes or anything. I want to know what type of turtle it is to know what it needs and what food it eats. This is the picture.

http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/llxkaylaxll/?action=view&current=turtle.jpg

Thank you!

Answer 1

This is an older female eastern painted turtle. You don't need the underside to determine that. She may have been looking for a site to lay her eggs. Provide her with soft soil and do not move the eggs until you know how.

Answer 2

I would put money that its a painted.

I would also put money to say that that turtle is probably someones unwanted pet...or an escapee...

If it was a wild turtle...as big as he is he would have some algea..or slimy green stuff on him....unless you cleaned him he looks like hes been kept by somebody....you also mentioned no water around your house...these guys need water.

I would put out some found posters...you may have someones missing pet....

if no one claims it....either turn it in to an animal relocater....or do some research and keep him....your gonna need a huge tank and alot of stuff to go along with it...your probably not gonna wanna keep it when you find out how much money it will cost!

But seriously if theres no water around your house...dont just let him go....call a wildlife relocater...please!

Answer 3

im almost possitive that that is a painted turtle.there may be a tiny tiny pond or somthing in the woods that you didnt know about.well first you should get a animal book to look at the picture and compare with your turtle.if it is a painted they are common pets for turtles and that is a good sized one.this is rare that they will go away from the water.if you keep him put enough get a 50 gallon take at least!then put about 10 inches of water in the bottom for him to swim in.then put stuff for him to climb out of water onto or it will get soft shell and die.youcan go into woods and catch bugs or just get bugs from pet stores.or instead of big tank you can get a plastic kiddy pool and put net on top so he cant climb out and stuff cant eat him.cuz hes a sitting duck in it.make sure he has a head source too.in the summer he will be fine in the kiddy pool.

Answer 4

Thats not a wild turtle...it would have algae all over it and it would be alot meaner i caught this red ear slider a few days ago and it bit me super hard!then i let it go.

Answer 5

painted turtle

Answer 6

Mawia is correct, it looks very much like a painted turtle, but very hard to tell without seeing the belly. If you found it outside, put it back. It will probably die of stress, if not improper nutrition and care, in captivity. How would you feel if someone pulled you out of your home and freedom and stuck you in a cage?

Turtles need very large tanks, and you would have to get at least a 50-100 gallon aquarium if you intended on keeping it in there. It needs swimming areas, as well as grass and basking (out of water area with heat lamp). An ideal turtle habitat would actually not be an aquarium, but a large enclosure with water, rocks, and grass, much like the edge of a pond or lake. As this is a wild turtle, it would not do well on the turtle pellets or feed from the store, and would need to be fed live food.

Answer 7

Oikos knows what he is talking about.  It is a Eastern Painted turtle. You can tell by the shape of the carapace that it definitely is a female.

Answer 8

Please don't keep the turtle, or feed it.  First of all, it's illegal to take animals from the wild.  In addtion, it will probably die in captivity.  The turtle belongs in the wild.

Unless someone left the turtle in your garden, you must have a water source nearby, either a small stream, or a pond (natural or manmade).

You should attempt to locate an appropriate habitat with water nearby, and leave the turtle there.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 9

Sliders,painted,map,yellow bellied,cooters all require about the same

I have had 2 sliders for 36 yrs now plus a 8 yr old and a 5 yr old. This is how I have taken care of them for 36 yrs. Great pets.

I have had them in a stand alone 150gal pond from sears..for about 6 yrs now..

**Here is some important and a lot of info. If he or she is small get feeder guppies or small feeder goldfish, frozen brown worms ..or live brown worms from a fish store. petco and or petsmart do not carry live worms..

**Red-eared sliders, Gender especially juveniles, can be difficult to s*x. Gender in adults is determined by external physical characteristics and behavior. Males have longer fore claws (which are use in courtship), a longer tail length, a longer distance from the body to the vent opening, a tail that is thicker at the base and generally a smaller body size and shell length. Turtles are considered juveniles till after 5 yrs old.

Their Home

The minimum enclosure size for hatchling re-eared slider should be a 20-gallon aquarium minimum. As a general rule, the water depth should be at least 2 times the turtle's length, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. So if your turtle is 4” around  he needs at least 10 to 12” of water to swim. For ONE 4 to 5 inch long sliders, the recommended minimum enclosure surface area is 50 gal plus tank with an extra square foot for each additional turtle.

What to Feed

In the wild, re-eared sliders eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters but still love the greens.

In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist  of a commercial aquatic turtle pellets and small feeders guppies or goldfish or minows. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of  leafy greens or finely chapped mixed vegetables, can be offered once weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow older.

Fill tank with approx 20 feeder guppies and or 10 to 15 small goldfish. you’ll know when to replenish the live food supply. just count what’s left and then fill it up again..Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept and drop in the water for added calcium. Hopefully they may eat it and that’s what you want.

For adults their of the diet may consist of some commercial turtle pellets. Plus 80% of their diet is fresh alive fish to catch in their water which also gives them exercise when trying to catch to eat. Adults should be fed greens , romaine, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, dandelion, watercress, parsley. Swiss chard, shredded carrots, shredded squash, thawed frozen mixed vegetables and miscellaneous fruits. Adults can be fed every two to three days. NO iceberg or cabbage!!

Vital Statistics

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max.

Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer foreclaws..

Water quality and Filtration

Sliders are voracious feeders and tend to foul the water real quickly with their messy eating habits and frequent defecation. Therefore, a system needs to be in place for good water quality. Partial to full water changes can be performed. Many different filter systems are available ..

*** Health Problems

If you take proper care of your red-eared slider by providing excellent housing, nutrition, lighting, and heating, it is unlikely to ever become ill or injured. However, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with ailments common to sliders so that you can quickly identify them in your own slider, should it become ill. The following are some of the most common medical problems among red-eared sliders.

Fungus Infections

“Fungal infections are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions. You can also treat patches of fungus with topical applications of a mild antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine. As long as the problem isn’t severe, you should notice signs of recovery within a day or two, and a full recovery in about 10–14 days.

If your turtle has a persistent fungal infection that home treatment isn’t curing, take it to the vet for treatment. Several medications are available that can address a fungal infection if it hasn’t spread too far.”

**Shell Rot.

First make a dry box to keep the turtle in, shell rot needs water to grow.

Keep it warm and give it plenty of light.

Scrub the shell gently with a toothbrush and water.

Let the turtle swim for about 20 minutes a day in something other than his pond..clean water.

1-2 times a day take a cotton ball apply Hydrogen Peroxide to it then to his shell. It'll start bubbling which means its cleaning it. it. DO NOT get it in his eyes.

Then clean the shell and apply providone-iodine solution to the shell, coat the shell and don't clean it off until he is ready to swim the next day.

** Keep this up for several weeks and it should go away. . MOST important !!! TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

Respiratory Infections

“Slider turtles and other aquatic species are susceptible to respiratory infections. Most respiratory infections that can affect sliders are mild and easily treatable in their early stages, but there are also some particularly virulent infections that can kill a turtle very quickly without veterinary attention. Sliders usually develop respiratory infections when their tank is too cold.

Symptoms of an infection include a runny nose, wheezing, lopsided swimming (an ailing lung changes the turtle’s buoyancy), lethargy, and a refusal to eat. If you identify the illness in its early stages, you may be able to treat it by removing the sick slider from its quarters into a new, clean tank (especially if you keep multiple sliders, since the majority of respiratory infections are contagious) and keeping it a few degrees warmer than normal. Warmth is the most crucial factor in treating respiratory infections in the home. If the condition persists for more than a few days or worsens, bring your slider to your veterinarian, who will treat the infection with antibiotics.”

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com“.

Ps..I have arthritis in my hands, so I have  pasted my answer for you. I just try to help you the pet  owner as much as I can. I wish you  Luck.

Answer 10

This looks line a painted turtle, but to be sure, we would need to see the underside as well.  Please release back into the wild, where is belongs.