I have been given a turtle type thingy - HELP please!

sonianoton · 30-07-2009, 01:00 AM

I have just been given this animal by someone who found it in the middle of the road.
I dont know if its a turtle, terepin or even a tortoise.

What should i do?

I have pictures but i am on my mobile and cant get the photobucket to work

linda · 30-07-2009, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonianoton

I have just been given this animal by someone who found it in the middle of the road.
I dont know if its a turtle, terepin or even a tortoise.

What should i do?

I have pictures but i am on my mobile and cant get the photobucket to work

with out knowing
what species you have been given
it is extremeley difficult to advise

does the person who gave it to you know what this is
google images of torts turtles terapins
to help you decide

can you get a camera shot
is the animal hurt

sonianoton · 30-07-2009, 01:54 AM

I really dont have a lot of Info. A neighbour says he had found it in the middle of the road. He's a bit of a tale teller so i take what he says with a pinch of salt but he said he had took it to a pet shop and they had said to put it in 2inches of water. He says they told him it was a turtle but later he changed that to terepin. He had it in a fish tank and it looked like it was drowning! He was planning on putting it in his pond so i said i'd take it.
It doesn't appear to be hurt but is very timid. When i put it down on the floor it had a run around and seem to be moving well and quickly! It seemed as though it was trying to avoid the light though as it kept moving to a shadowy place.
I am totally clueless but i dont think its a tortoise based on the colour of its skin. It has a frog type look to it. Its green with yellow stripes.
Its shell feels hard.

I think i have the pictures working but they aren't very good.

sonianoton · 30-07-2009, 02:02 AM

**egyptiandan64** · 30-07-2009, 04:07 AM

If it has red stripes on the side of it's head, it's a Red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans.
If it doesn't have a red stripe, I'm going to need better pictures to figure out what kind of slider or cooter it is.

It's definately a water turtle and any of the caresheets you can find for sliders or cooters will work just fine for which ever one it is.

Danny

sonianoton · 30-07-2009, 04:26 AM

I dont see any red stripe it just has very bright yellow stripes.
Its front feet has claws and are not webbed. Its back feet are clawed but appear webbed too.
It seems to just want to hide its self away in the dry corner rather than be in the water.

Thanks for your help by the way

Geomyda · 30-07-2009, 07:58 AM

From the pictures, which to be fair are not that clear, it does look like a North American Slider- (Trachemys spp). If as Danny says, there is not a red flash on either side of the head, then it may well be a Cumberland Slider (Trachemys scripta troosti).
However, that said from the picture of the Plastron, it does appear to have a worrying redness in the background of the bone beneath the shell. This might indicate a potential serious health issue, and I would recommend a trip to a good Reptile Vet to give in a check up?

sonianoton · 30-07-2009, 09:28 AM

Im sorry about the picture being unclear

I dont have a digital camera or a pc and am doing all of this from my phone.
So should this turtle be swimming around like a fish ie in a tank full of water?
When i was searching for info there were some discriptions of different turtles and it sounded like a Reeves(?) turtle but thats totally different than a slider isn't it?
It has the option of being in some water (although not deep enough to swim in). Ive put it in some shallow water but it just sits there, has a bit of a walk around then climbs back out onto the dry bit.
While it was in the water it made a strange sound that was almost like a high pitched bark. It did it twice and both times when i got up to see what was happening it was just sat still in the shallow water.
I am totally clueless as to care for this turtle.
Should it be in a tank totally full of water? If not how do i create a wet/dry environment? From some of discriptions on the web it sounds like a reedes (?) turtle. It was found crossing the street so could it have come from someone's pond? What can i feed it? I dont have many worms and crickets lying around

More infomation and advice would be greatly appreciated

**Alan1** · 30-07-2009, 09:41 AM

It will most likely have escaped from someone's garden so I would ask around to see who's it, sorry I know nothing about turtles.

BTW the redness could just be a reflection from something or just down down to bad light. A pic outside in the sun would have been better

**egyptiandan64** · 30-07-2009, 12:47 PM

Here's a good caresheet to get you started

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/trachemyscare.htm

Danny

30-07-2009, 01:00 AM	#1
sonianoton Member Egg Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pontefract, West Yorkshire Posts: 82	I have been given a turtle type thingy - HELP please! I have just been given this animal by someone who found it in the middle of the road. I dont know if its a turtle, terepin or even a tortoise. What should i do? I have pictures but i am on my mobile and cant get the photobucket to work __________________ Sonia Xx Wannabe keeper

30-07-2009, 01:54 AM	#3
sonianoton Member Egg Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pontefract, West Yorkshire Posts: 82	I really dont have a lot of Info. A neighbour says he had found it in the middle of the road. He's a bit of a tale teller so i take what he says with a pinch of salt but he said he had took it to a pet shop and they had said to put it in 2inches of water. He says they told him it was a turtle but later he changed that to terepin. He had it in a fish tank and it looked like it was drowning! He was planning on putting it in his pond so i said i'd take it. It doesn't appear to be hurt but is very timid. When i put it down on the floor it had a run around and seem to be moving well and quickly! It seemed as though it was trying to avoid the light though as it kept moving to a shadowy place. I am totally clueless but i dont think its a tortoise based on the colour of its skin. It has a frog type look to it. Its green with yellow stripes. Its shell feels hard. I think i have the pictures working but they aren't very good. __________________ Sonia Xx Wannabe keeper

30-07-2009, 02:02 AM	#4
sonianoton Member Egg Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pontefract, West Yorkshire Posts: 82	__________________ Sonia Xx Wannabe keeper

30-07-2009, 04:07 AM	#5
egyptiandan64 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 14,171	If it has red stripes on the side of it's head, it's a Red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans. If it doesn't have a red stripe, I'm going to need better pictures to figure out what kind of slider or cooter it is. It's definately a water turtle and any of the caresheets you can find for sliders or cooters will work just fine for which ever one it is. Danny __________________

30-07-2009, 04:26 AM	#6
sonianoton Member Egg Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pontefract, West Yorkshire Posts: 82	I dont see any red stripe it just has very bright yellow stripes. Its front feet has claws and are not webbed. Its back feet are clawed but appear webbed too. It seems to just want to hide its self away in the dry corner rather than be in the water. Thanks for your help by the way __________________ Sonia Xx Wannabe keeper

30-07-2009, 07:58 AM	#7
Geomyda Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Surrey Posts: 2,094	From the pictures, which to be fair are not that clear, it does look like a North American Slider- (Trachemys spp). If as Danny says, there is not a red flash on either side of the head, then it may well be a Cumberland Slider (Trachemys scripta troosti). However, that said from the picture of the Plastron, it does appear to have a worrying redness in the background of the bone beneath the shell. This might indicate a potential serious health issue, and I would recommend a trip to a good Reptile Vet to give in a check up?

30-07-2009, 09:28 AM	#8
sonianoton Member Egg Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pontefract, West Yorkshire Posts: 82	Im sorry about the picture being unclear I dont have a digital camera or a pc and am doing all of this from my phone. So should this turtle be swimming around like a fish ie in a tank full of water? When i was searching for info there were some discriptions of different turtles and it sounded like a Reeves(?) turtle but thats totally different than a slider isn't it? It has the option of being in some water (although not deep enough to swim in). Ive put it in some shallow water but it just sits there, has a bit of a walk around then climbs back out onto the dry bit. While it was in the water it made a strange sound that was almost like a high pitched bark. It did it twice and both times when i got up to see what was happening it was just sat still in the shallow water. I am totally clueless as to care for this turtle. Should it be in a tank totally full of water? If not how do i create a wet/dry environment? From some of discriptions on the web it sounds like a reedes (?) turtle. It was found crossing the street so could it have come from someone's pond? What can i feed it? I dont have many worms and crickets lying around More infomation and advice would be greatly appreciated __________________ Sonia Xx Wannabe keeper

30-07-2009, 09:41 AM	#9
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	It will most likely have escaped from someone's garden so I would ask around to see who's it, sorry I know nothing about turtles. BTW the redness could just be a reflection from something or just down down to bad light. A pic outside in the sun would have been better Last edited by Alan1; 30-07-2009 at 09:45 AM.

30-07-2009, 12:47 PM	#10
egyptiandan64 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 14,171	Here's a good caresheet to get you started http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/trachemyscare.htm Danny __________________

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)