All Turtles Message Board

Fred_and_George · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:04 pm Post subject: Question about feeding

I was just wondering, when does a turtle qualify as an adult or a juvinille? One of my turtles is about 4-5 inches long and the other is 3-4 (closer to three i think) are they still babies? I got them at the same time, but Fred is bigger than George, he always has been a bit bigger, but since Georgie was sick, the difference is more noticable? I have no idea how old they are exactly, as I bought them from a petstore (Superpet) and they didnt know the exact hatching date. When I got them in September they were about the size of a loonie and a toonie (canadian money, sorry if you dont know how big they are.....) but another way of saying it is that George was about 1.5 inches and Fred was 2, maybe a bit less/more.

Anyway, the reason I'm asking is because i want to know when i should start feeding them every other day. As of now, i feed them twice a day, and that seems to be working out well. Should i only feed them once a day? George got over RI recently, so ive been trying to help him gain back lost weight and start growing agian, which he is doing. Neither of them have shell pyramiding from over-feeding. I have cut down on the number of pellets i give Fred, because he was looking a little fleshy under his shell there a bit. He is doing fine now, though.

But ya, so that is as much information i can come up with, i also have pictures posted in the Turtle Picture Gallery of both of them. If you could help me decide on whether they are juvinilles or not and how often/much i should feed them, i would appreciate it. thanks everybody! sorry the post is so long, i tend to be wordy at times...
_________________
I love my turtles! Smile

Tiffany · Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:59 am Post subject:

I assume you have red ears....so I am going with that. A baby res is normally about 1- 1 1/2 inches at birth. Yours were probably about a month- month and a half old when you got them.

At 4 inches the res is considered a juveinile. At 6-7 inches an adult. Growing at different rates is normal. Like humans we all grow faster or slower. I have twins...yes real turtle twins, same egg....and one is 2 inches bigger then the other. They have the same dna and were born at the same time. Neither has been sick and both have gotten the same care.

Now with feeding them here is what I do....from the day I get them they get greens every morning and then reptomin in the afternoon. About 5-6 pellets broken in half until they are 2 inches.

Once two inches they stop getting reptomin and start getting 5 mazuri pellets as that has less protien in it. Greens still every morning, and now once a week they get veggies- a few peices of thawed fozen peas, carrots,corn, green beans...only a few bites. And once a week fruit....just a few bites of things like grapes,berries,melon. And then once a week they also get meat- boiled chicken, shrimp whatever I serve the family that week.

After they reach 5 inches they still get the same thing but now pellets are every other day. I tend to like them eating daily so I go the fruit, pellets, veggies, pellets, meat, pellets. Just rotate. With dark leafy greens every morning to munch through the day.

Have fun finding new things for them to try, I always get weird veggies, meat or fruit to give them and see how they like it. You will see a preferance for certain things.
_________________
3 sulcata,11 red ears,1 yellow belly,1 melanistic slider,1 map,1 western painted,2 3 toe boxies,1 striped mud,2 japanese pond,2 common musk,1 russian,1 ornate wood,1 FL Cooter,7 annam pond,2 back wood,1 Malayan box,1 Red belly

Fred_and_George · Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject:

thank you so much. twins! that is really cool!
_________________
I love my turtles! Smile

Tiffany · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:48 am Post subject:

Thanks, I have twin res and twin three toe boxies. Both cases one is bigger then the other. With the res I saw them come out of the egg, one poked the hole and then they both made it bigger. It was really cool. The boxies I got from a local breeder friend, he had the eggs in the incubater and went to check them and there was one egg open and two babies there. Freaked him out! LOL
_________________
3 sulcata,11 red ears,1 yellow belly,1 melanistic slider,1 map,1 western painted,2 3 toe boxies,1 striped mud,2 japanese pond,2 common musk,1 russian,1 ornate wood,1 FL Cooter,7 annam pond,2 back wood,1 Malayan box,1 Red belly

trtlduv · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:58 pm Post subject:

That is so cool! Twins! I had never thought of that... .I'm a twin and it never even crossed my mind that turtles could be twins! Laughing

_________________
shade & sweetwater!