Im gettting a red eared slyder turtle.what else should i know about them??

Question

i want to keep it for as loong as possible:]]

1)why are the small ones illegal?

2)what do they eat??

3)how do you tell difference between a male and female??

4)what do the laid eggs look like?(are they big)

5)im getting 4 turtles. would they fight?

6)i have a 20 gallon tank.the turtles are pretty small about 3.5 inches. is it enough, or do i need a bigger one?

7)and how can i make the tank so it could be half gravel and half water like a pool kind of??

Answer 1

1. Federal regulations prohibit selling ANY turtle under 4" due to Salmonella risks.

2. Try this article for a good diet: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Info/in...

3. Impossible in young ones. Adult males will have longer front claws.

4. Ping Pong balls, roughly. Hard to get them to lay eggs in captivity- don't even try.

5. YES. Red-ears are VERY territorial and fight unless the habitat is HUGE.

6. WAY too small. Figure 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length. 4 turtles are 3" long would need 120 gallons of water. Otherwise, see #5.

7. Why? Red-ears do not like that kind of tank. They prefer basking logs that hang over the water. Besides, that kind of tank is almost impossible to keep clean.

Try http://www.redearslider.com for good information.

Also- consider getting Painted Turtles instead- harder to find, but MUCH better pets.

Answer 2

Honestly most of those questions can be answered by the people running the pet store you buy them from. They can give you all that information, plus books to read about them, and help you get the right tank and accessories for them. They're the best ones to ask.