Types of turtles? [10 pts.]?

Question

Okay.. So ever since I was little I've been obsessed with turtles. They're so cute.. and I just love them. I've had a few turtles over the past few years but now I'm thinking I'd like to get one.

I already have everything I need and more. I'm just wondering about turtles.

My cousin got a turtle down in Florida and she said it won't get any bigger than it already is. And it was really small.. Like maybe 2 inches long?

Anyone know what kind it is? Or any nice kinds that wouldn't get too big...?

[10 points to best answer!]

Answer 1

i have a red ear slider turtle. and it is quite small..maybe 2 in. i have like 20 of them.

Answer 2

Spiny softshell,Spotted turtle,Blanding's turtle,Mississippi map turtle,False map turtle,Galapagosa Tortoise,Red- footed Tortoise.

Answer 3

sliders and painted,maps and yellow bellied and cooters all vary in size..

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 4

We say it again and again, most of the turtles that are sold under the pretense that "this is as big as it gets" are red eared sliders and there is NO SUCH THING as a turtle that only gets as big as it's tank... if a turtle stays small "because it's kept in a small tank" there are other issues, either dietary or due to poor lighting or just general ill health. ALL reptiles continue growing throughout their lives. PERIOD. And RES's will grow to about the size of a dinner plate. If it only lives for a few years or so and never gets over four inches, it's NOT because that's as big as it gets and as long as it lives... it's because it wasn't taken care of properly.

As stated, mud and musk turtles only get to be four inches or so, BUT they're not as "cute" as sliders, and they've got a bad habit of pooping just because you pick them up (thus the nicknames of stinkpots or stinking jenny or stinking jim). Spotted turtles stay relatively small as well, but are hard to come by and EXPENSIVE when you do.

Remember. Turtles need at least 10 gallons of water for every inch of shell length, a filter either made for turtles or if you're using a regular fish tank filter, rated for about twice the volume of water you're filtering... UVB lighting, basking area, heat lamps and depending on where you live and how cool you keep your house a water heater. Expect to spend about $200 for proper setup.

Answer 5

sounds like a map turtle but it will get a lil bigger and i would get a musk turtle i love my lil musk turtle hes not goin to get any bigger that 4 in very cute really long necks lol mine wen i feed him will run after the food grab it and go hide hes a trip :)

Answer 6

No turtle will stay two inches long.  One of the smallest turtles is the Common Musk Turtle.  These usually don't exceed 4-6 inches.  That's pretty small compared to a Red Eared Slider which a female will get above 10 inches.  Male Map turtle also don't get to large, maybe around 6 inches........actually most males of the common variety of aquatic turtles are smaller than the females so a male of these species would be fine in a tank appropriate for their size.  No 10 gallon tanks either, rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch.   A turtle will usually exceed the tank its living in, as long as you feed it regularly.  I have personally experienced this and those saying they will only get as big as their surroundings are wrong.  I've had to let go plenty of turtles (native to the area) due to this.

Answer 7

It could possibly be a red eared slider.If they are kept in a some what smaller cage they dont get very big.

Ive had mine for about 4yrs and it isnt bigger than 2-3 inches.

Answer 8

Probably a water turtle  i.e. red ear slider.

Will get bigger.  They all do.

Answer 9

Well i have a turtle. I got mine from Florida and this is the perfect kind of turtle you want. This turtle grows depending on how big your tank is. The type of turtle he is is a Red Eared Slider. They will eat reptile pellets.  i hope i helped you!

Answer 10

Awhile back I went to Panama City Beach, Florida and I bought a turtle from a surf shop on Front Beach Rd. and the turtles you described are similar to mine I got and mine was Red Ear Sliders.

Answer 11

To answer your first question, without a visual I can not tell you what kind it is but I will tell you that up to a certain degree based on species of turtle they will get as big as their size aquarium will comfortably allow them, every turtle will grow longer than 2 inches. To answer your question I love red eared sliders they don't get huge and their pretty common and easy to find, I also like Mississippi Map turtles

Answer 12

It can be a red eared slider or a yellow bellied slider if it has red on its head a bit above and behind his eyes then its a red eared slider but no turtle stays that small unless u under feed them. Keeping a turtle in a small enclosure isn't good and can damage their shell. Its a myth that a turtle will stay small if u keep them in a small cage. a RES turtle is suppose to grow to 12 inches long and a yellow bellied turtle grow up too 14inches sometimes. Although keeping them small by underfeeding them seems like a good idea it isnt Its like your parents feeding u a little so u stay a kid all your life so if u are interested in a small turtle then i suggest u dont because there are not many turtles that stay small if any

Answer 13

If you are asking about aquatic turtles, the Mud and Musk turtles only reach a size of about 4 inches. If you are asking about land turtles, then an ornamental box is probably your best option, reaching a carapace between 5 and 5 1/2 inches.

Answer 14

The chances are that your cousin got a slider in FL. Yellow-bellied sliders are native to the FL Panhandle and red-eared sliders are sold everywhere. It is not true that a turtle will remain 2" long. The only way to do that would be to keep it under rotten conditions so that it died young.

I don't know what you would consider "nice" turtles but the only ones that are legal, common, and remain small are the musk turtles.. Some of the species recommended either get large (RES) or have relatively small populations (Blanding's & mud).

Answer 15

mud and musk turtles are the smallest turtles i no of the 3 striped mud turtle will only get 4 inches long full size