All Turtles Message Board

jesi · Level 1 Joined: 22 Mar 2003 Posts: 7

O.k. I have two turtles and they are the same. They are about an inch and a half long from the tip of the head to the tip of the tail. Turtles this small are illegal where I live because little kids were putting them in their mouths and choking on them. I can\'t take them to a pet store to find out what type they are for this reason. My boyfriend bought me these turtles in NYC in Chinatown.

When you look at the turtle from the front, the shell looks triangle shaped. It looks like it has a spine up it\'s shell. The shells are dark green and have lighter green markings on them. Around the edges of the shell, there is yellow. The bottom of their shell is yellow, smooth, and has dark markings. The markings are mostly circles and ovals. It looks like it might be some kind of scare tactic to scare away predators. The circles could somewhat resemble a face. They have webbed toes and claws. Their skin is dark green with yellow and light green stripes. Directly behind the eyes are orangey red spots.

I need to know what kind of turtles these are so I know what kind of habitat they need. My boyfriend said that the guy in NYC just had about 40 of them in the smallest cage you can imagine all piled on top of each other with about a half an inch of water at the bottom.
Please help me so I can give these turtles a good home!

deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1231

Congratulations!!!
You are the proud owner of 2 Red Ear Sliders.
Here is some basic information on them.

http://www.allturtles.com/turtle_species/slider.php

Here is where you can find information on what they need.
http://www.allturtles.com/care_sheets/water_turtle_care.php

http://www.allturtles.com/setup/indoorWT.php

Good Luck
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jesi · Level 1 Joined: 22 Mar 2003 Posts: 7

Do they stay this small? They guy my boyfriend bought them from said they\'re mini turtles. They also have soft shells, will they stay this soft?

jesi · Level 1 Joined: 22 Mar 2003 Posts: 7

Sorry to be such a nag! Does anyone know how to determine the sex of my turtles? I have 2 of them, so it\'s probably a good idea to know now so I know what to do ahead of time in case they decide to mate...if they haven\'t already!

deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1231

I have never heard of a mini turtle. Maybe someone else hear knows something different. RES can get fairly large. Sweet pea is now almost 9\" (shell size). They do need plenty of room. Make sure you follow the guidelines on the pages I posted earlier. You can start with a smaller tank, however you will need to get a larger one as they grow.

As far as the shell goes. Hatchlings have a slightly soft shell. I recommend using a calcium enriched food for them while they are that small. Nutrifin has a good one. It also has Vit d3. Also make sure you get a uv bulb and a good heat lamp for basking.
Good Luck
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deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1231

You do not have to worry about them mating for a few years yet. As far as telling the sex, it is almost impossible when they are that young. When they get older you will notice that males have long claws on their front feet. The females are very short. Also males have a longer tail than the female. also the opening in the tail is high on the female and lower(about mid-point) on the males.
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jesi · Level 1 Joined: 22 Mar 2003 Posts: 7

Thank you so much for all your help. I have a problem though. My boyfriend bought food from the guy that sold him the turtles, it is Nutrifin, but they\'re not eating it, I tried leaving some in their tank dry and some wet and neither of them have touched it. Could they be sick or just stubborn?

deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1231

Sometimes it takes a few days before they will start eating. You need to feed them in the water. Some people like to have a seperate tank set up for feedings as it keeps the main tank cleaner. A new dish pan will work. I feed mine in the tank. That of course is a personal choice.
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Dolfan0925 · Level 1 Joined: 18 Feb 2002 Posts: 15

RES\'s don\'t stay small, they start out about that size, my girlfriends was that small the my map turtle\'s shell is just a little big bigger than a quarter. As far as them being illegal. I\'m almost sure that the laws are federal, so I have the same laws, and they only apply to selling them. I would take it to a pet store(reputable) and ask them, or just say you have a baby red eared slider and need to know what to get and stuff on taking care of them. The food issue, you may have the wrong food, my map turtle I just bought is that small and is eatin like a horse. But that\'s my 2 cents