Not a cryptid, Turtle question.

This is not a cryptid and/or a new species. Just a simple question; don't know where else to put it, thanks.

Can anyone please tell me what kind of turtle this is?



[edit on 12-7-2009 by h1satsu]

Seems like this little guy got lost!

Second line.

I don't know a lot about turtles but you may not want to get your fingers too close to it.

Does your turtle have either/any clawed front feet and webbed in the back? Does it have a small plastron (underside shell) that makes it look fat? Does your turtle have a big head, a long tail, and a long neck much lager than the shell? Does your turtle have a hooked jaw? And does it have a dark/black shell? Then it is some kind of snapping turtle. Watch out he may have a mean bite!

www.allturtles.com...

looks like a baby Eastern Painted Turtle to me.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a153361970ef.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 12-7-2009 by TV_Nation]

reply to post by TV_Nation


Thank you so much.
This thread can be closed now, if any mods choose to do so.

Looks like a Painted Turtle to me, they live everywhere around here (where there are lakes).
The yellow and red is the dead giveaway, and the face is identical to them all haha.

I have a small turtle like that I've had for a couple of years I fount in a work shop I keep wondering when it will grow up

I also have a "cooter" thats 17 years old and a soft shell thats 12 years old (there buds-see pic) and a "mud turtle I found while cleaning up after a near miss hurrican in 2004.

Yep, it's a painted.

Cutie!!! We had one in my Invertebrate Zoology class this past year, even though they're verts (obv).

Oh! and a very rare "dog turtle" also !!

He needs a bigger pond.

looks like a painted turtle to me.
very common on the east coast of the us

RUFFREADY;
Any idea how much a baby one would cost here in the US?
I've never had a turtle before but i'm looking into getting one and this would be a perfect candidate . I came across it because i was snooping around Google looking to find a list of turtles that happen to stay small throughout they're lifetime. I don't want it to get too big. Yours looks kind of big though, go figure. Um, either way, any idea? Are they hard to take care of? Any idea what turtle I should get if not that one? Thanks.

reply to post by RUFFREADY


Hey Ruffready!

What do you feed your softshell turtle?

How often and how much?

I have a 2 year old softshell that I just put on a diet...he was getting a bit thick!!!

Yours looks really cute! =)

you can buy them like that at pet stores in belgium dont know about U.S. though

Per above questions.

As far as feeding "soft shells" a good main staple would be -Tera fauna ReptoMin- floating food sticks. its a Scientifically formulated diet wit Calcium & vitamin C- for Aquatic turtles (good for Cooters and the little guys also)

Water conditioner is a must so is -sun shine- with shade available-a place to crawl up on- CLEAN WATER. Take them out (carefully and let the run around while changeing the habitat (if your in a safe place they can scoot fast!) my cooter will follow me around at times.

the soft shell (when big) are hard to pick up- you have to grab them toward the rear and are slippery you have to pre-plan it you just can't carry them a ways -best to transfer them to a container and then carry to area where they can walk around.

I raised my soft shelf from a hatchling and its still bitchy when you try and pick it up (cooters are mellow though)

Soft shells LOVE CHICKEN cooked -just a few chunks of white meat a couple times a week. cooters don't (mine doesn't.)

"Mud turtles" like chicken ( mud turtles don't grow bigger than around 4-41/2
inches ..a good pet. you need to make them a hinding place where the can go hide (I made a bridge mine hides under ) then you put a piece of chicken in the water and the come swimming out and grab it and take it bake to their cave.

dry brine shrimp all above turtles like sold in little dispensers by same company. for snacks

the really small guy likes all the above.

as far a buying turtles (I found all mine) I can't really say. Some states have laws on size (under 5 inches etc.. its illegal) check web sites that sell turtles I've seen them.

again the main way to take care of a turle is -clean water -a staple food (food sticks) (then snacks a couple times a week ) Sun-shade-platforms to sun etc.. AND HANDLE CAREFULLY -carry low to ground when taking out for a walk or transfer to carrier to carry (especially soft sells that long neck will reach around and bite he he he he)

Halley-feed the food sticks about a table spoon full
a day and 3 to four pieces of chicken about the size
of your finger nail every 3rd day or so
(you can give 'em a little more sticks just watch them
but "they will eat till they bust so be carefull!! soft shells are real pigs for

FOOD

(PERDUE HAS PREBAGGED CHICKEN COOKED JUST THAW AND RINSE)


[edit on 13-7-2009 by RUFFREADY]

*nods* Most pet stores won't sell turtles smaller than 5 inches. People used to eat them and stuff...

Also be wary because almost all turtles now carry salmonella. At least ones bought in stores. Not an issue as long as you wash up good.

They're easy enough to find if you look around ponds and things if you can't find one in a pet store.

[edit on 7/13/2009 by ravenshadow13]

reply to post by ravenshadow13


yeah, thats what I thought 5 inches !!

I live in Florida so turtles can be found (mine all found me) as a matter of fact my "Cooter" thats 17 years old I found while I was getting in my car
"I saw this small thing moving just ahead of me -about the size of a quarter, I got out and went and looked and said oooo...it stll had a horn on its nose so it must have hatched recently

Now its one big cooter

The soft shell I have -my border collie found-while I was out walking him he stopped and pointed his nose at a" sprinkler head" (night time) and I said, wwhat?...I got down and looked and this little turtle no bigger than a quarter (also) was sitting on the sprinkler head!! I stuck it in my shirt pocket and now I have a monster soft shell eatting machine

OH!! ALMOST FORGOT!! DANGER!!

don't put small turtles with big turtles! Especially with a soft shell! they might see it a CHICKEN!!

also a male Cooter event the same size, can get his "member" bit by a soft shell (mine did a couple years ago and lucky I have a bird and reptile
vet specialist right near me and he "fix" newtered my cooter)

keep little turtles in seperate tanks- don't put together until everybody's pretty well equal on the play ground (in size-"bite size")

Don't put a horney Cooter in with a horney soft -shell-they will get their pecker bit (it it does happen ..don't let the "red" water scare you..just take to a good reptile vet and they will fix.

Just use common sense (these are reptile type eatting machines even the little ones)

Good books on turtles are a must also!!

One with lots of pictures and information.

thats all...

[edit on 13-7-2009 by RUFFREADY]

reply to post by RUFFREADY


Thanks for all the softshell advice!!! =)

I have one more question -

Where do you keep your softshell??? Did you make an outdoor habitat? If so, what is it like?

Yours is huge, and I'm assuming it's probably a female. I'm wondering, because I'm sure in about 10 years, mine might be as big as yours, but we think it's male, so maybe not. Ours lives in a big tank right now.

reply to post by Halley86


My soft shell is 81/2 inches wide by 13 inches long (not counting when it sticks the long neck out. The cooter is just a bit smaller.

I too started with tanks I have different sizes and then move on too large plastic pools (like on my screened in back yard porch) (and the one my dog is in) you can pick up those large pools in most wal-marts also pet-smart. They come in different sizes.
Easy to suck water out and scrub with brush and such...put a non-abrasive plat-form in the midlle for them to climb up on to sun (just kinda play around with different things ).

I also use a "50 foot, python" that you hook up to the faucet out-side that sucks the water out and then re-fills -you can clean your pools fast with a "python" .

extra hook-ups for python that go on water hose are cheaper at wall-mart in the "water bed" area same kinda hook-up but cheaper!!



[edit on 13-7-2009 by RUFFREADY]

[edit on 13-7-2009 by RUFFREADY]