I found a turtle on the side of the road in ely minnesota. i want to know what it eats so please identify?

Question

its got an extremely red belly, the rest of its shell is brownish black. the body is the same color except for the fact that there is red and yellow stripes on the sides of neck, legs and tail. the shell is perfectly rounded and at the edge fo the shell the curves up ever so slightly. his claws are very sharp and my mom told me to hold him like a hamburger but he still got me. it is mating season my grandpa says so i dont know if he will eat any other foods because of this time. so once again please identify it for me and thank you to all serious answers.

Answer 1

you have a water turtle and it needs to be kept in water, the reason you found it out of the water was because it was probably looking for a place to lay eggs, please turn her loose

so that she can lay her eggs

Answer 2

you cannot possibly care for it if you don't know what it is.  please release in the same area that you found it.  if you keep it, you will kill it.  

the turtle was taking care of itself and didn't need any help from you.

Answer 3

just let it go in the river where he belongs.

why are you keeping it?

Answer 4

It's a mud turtle or a painted turtle (same thing). I live in West Cental MN and see them all the time when I am fishing. They will eat plants, worms, fish, etc. Go to this website at the MN zoo...it will give you more info. http://www.mnzoo.com/animals/minnesota_t...

Honestly, you are better off letting him go. They don't do well in captivity. My cousin has tried to keep MANY of them and they all died no matter what she did.

Good luck, hope this helps!

Answer 5

leafy foods like lettuce, kale, etc

Answer 6

lettuce, tomatos, fruit, any vegtables pretty much

and at the pet store they sell turtle food

Answer 7

It sounds to be like a red eared slidder. if it is in the wild it should be back in the wild. you can get them anywhere. They are most common in pet stores. And it is mating season find a pond and let it go mate. Wild animals need to be wild animals. Also you can get pellets at the any pet store, they eat baby guppies, frozen shrimps, and leafy vegetables.

Answer 8

not sure what kind of turtle, but they generally eat vegetables carrots, corn, celery.

not to take the wind out of your sails - you sound like a really smart and responsible guy, but if your thinking of keeping it as a pet I would ask you to reconsider, as it is a wild animal and would do better outside of captivity (yes even in a loving home)

Answer 9

Sounds like a painted turtle.

Hate to rain on your parade, but wild-caught turtles generally don't do very well in captivity - he'll probably die in a few weeks. If you want to do what's best for it, take it back to where you found it and let it go.

Answer 10

If you want to do what's right for the turtle, let it go.  Generally, wild caught turtles don't do very well in captivity.

Answer 11

it is a western painted slider which is NOT the same as a mud turtle.

if you found it out of the water, on the road it is a female trying to lay a nest and is crossing the road to find a suitable laying site.

it would be best to release the turtle where you found it, out of harms way.

Answer 12

it sounds like you have a aqautic turtle. they are common throught the states and do very well almost in any envirnoments. google PAINTED TURTLES and see if that is it.

if so to be truthfully honest with you, unless you are willing to spend a decent amount of money to provide an adequite environment. it is not worth your time because you will spending it on constant maintenance.

let me give you an idea on what you will be spending.

75g tank and stand $550

404 fluval canister filter (100gal filter) $250

uv light $40

gravel (optional) $65

soyou would be spending about $900-$1,000! only to do the bare minimum!

buying a setup like this is the only way you will be able to acutally enjoy having a turtle.

do some more research. turtles are awesome to have but require alot of maintenance.

oh and ALSO MOST IMPORTANT!

CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL LAWS IN REGUARDS TO OWNING TURTLES!!!

there are FEDERAL LAWS! protecting certain species and owning one without a permit (if you can even get a permit) will lead to $1,000's of dollars in fines and maybe prison. call your local animal control.

good luck

Answer 13

give him some lettuce and then let him go.. he will die after a week or two if you keep him. So let him go if you want him to have a chance to live and go get a turtle from the pet store.

Answer 14

It sounds like an Ornate Box Turtle. If that is the case he will eat timothy and alfalfa hay. Most pet stores sell them in small cubes. They also need lots of fiber, at least 90% of their diet should consist of it. There is also canned "land turtle food" you can buy as well. Can you email me a pic or post it on my website for better identification?.......info@petshoptalk.c...

Answer 15

It sounds like a painted turtle,which is very common.It would be best if you would release it near where you found it.look for a water source close to the area where it was found.If you are determined to keep it,then here are a few links for you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bail56/1067...

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/ca...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

Answer 16

okay first if its a slippery turtle it eats crickets and veggies

Answer 17

Ely, huh? I'm originally from Eveleth. There are only a couple of turtles found up there and from your description, it is definitely a western painted turtle. It is an aquatic turtle and needs a large aquarium with water. They only eat in water and won't eat out of the water no matter how hungry they are. I've heard they need to eat in water because they can't swallow food normally like we do. What you probably have is a female who was looking for a place to lay eggs, so really the best thing to do is let it go near a lake and let it go about it's business. This is the time of year they lay eggs  where you're at. As I mentioned, it needs a large aquarium, not to mention a filter, basking spot, UVB lights and heat lights, etc.

Answer 18

you can buy its food from the pet store in your area, as for identifying the turtle, that i won't be able to help with.

Answer 19

but i dotn know what kind   but here. :]

http://www.petturtle.com/feeding.htm