All Turtles Message Board

wyndiusly · Guest Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 4

Hello all, my brother-in-law brought me some red ear slider turtle eggs that he found while working, he accidently busted one of the eggs and the baby is alive but I think premature, I really need to know how to care for the new baby and the eggs, PLEASE HELP!

Willie · Level 3 Joined: 16 Sep 2002 Posts: 383 Location: Wisconsin

Keep the baby in a very warm, moist place. An aquarium, or a teppaware container with VERY GOOD ventalation. Keep the temp 86-90 degrees F. Let him soak up his yolk sak, It\'s will take about 5-10 day, untill then he doesn\'t need to be fed. Keep him moist by misting him with a garden sprayer with 85 degree water. Let us know how it goes.
Willie
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2 Eastern Painted Turtles
2 Common Snapping Turtles
2 Texas Diamondback Terrapins
1 Razorback Musk
1 Texas Map Turtle

wyndiusly · Guest Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 4

Thank you, that is very helpful, I will let you know if he makes it, so far he is still going strong, he\'s moving around alittle more but he isn\'t opening his eyes. Should the shell still be attached?

Willie · Level 3 Joined: 16 Sep 2002 Posts: 383 Location: Wisconsin

The shell of the egg? Or the shell of teh turtle? Just checking. You could used a dull tweesers to gently remove the shell. But if teh shell doesn\'t want to go, don\'t make it go. Just leave it, and it will dry up, and shrivle. Good luck!
Willie
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2 Eastern Painted Turtles
2 Common Snapping Turtles
2 Texas Diamondback Terrapins
1 Razorback Musk
1 Texas Map Turtle

wyndiusly · Guest Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 4

The shell of the egg, it doesn\'t look lke it is going to want to come off so I will just leave it til it comes off on it\'s own, it\'s been about 14 hours and he\'s still alive so keep your fingers crossed, I will let you all know if he makes it.

Willie · Level 3 Joined: 16 Sep 2002 Posts: 383 Location: Wisconsin

Yes, you don\'t want to force it to come off. Membrane could be attaching it to the shell, which has a high risk of it having blood vessles either still attached or near it. The membrane will dry up, and die, and the blood vessles will naturtally seal themselves up, so the can\'t break easily. Yes, hopefully he\'ll make it. I\'m just worried about infection...but if you keep him and his surrondings clean, it might not happen. But don\'t worry about the chance of infection, just keep the area clean and you don\'t have to worry about that now, just worry about keeping him alive and healthy. How\'s the yolk sak coming along? Good Luck!
Willie
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2 Eastern Painted Turtles
2 Common Snapping Turtles
2 Texas Diamondback Terrapins
1 Razorback Musk
1 Texas Map Turtle

wyndiusly · Guest Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 4

Ok, here\'s an update, the other four eggs have hatched and the little turtles are doing good, I have moved them into a large plastic tub half gravel and half about 2 inches of water with a light on them, when their yolk sacks are gone I will probably turn them loose.

The early baby has been making progress, but he is way behind the others. The egg shell finally came off and his eyes finally opened, he doesn\'t move around alot, he likes to swim but he doesn\'t go to the water by himself, and his yolk sack looks different then the others and seems to get in his way and make it difficult for him to get around (that maybe why he doesn\'t crawl around as much), he is also much smaller then the others, so any ideas on what I should be doing for him?

Willie · Level 3 Joined: 16 Sep 2002 Posts: 383 Location: Wisconsin

Don\'t have water in there with them untill the completely loose their egg sacs. Just have very soft paper towl in there or peat moss. As for the others, that sounds great, I\'m glad that they hatched!! The premmie will catch up to the others. What region are you from? If your from a place that has snow or freezes soemtimes over the winter, Don\'t realease the little one this year yet, release him next spring when all the snow, ice cold waether has gone, he\'s just not stong eanough. Even if you do live in a region were its \'summer\' all the time, don\'t relaese him until he\'s fully ready, strong and grown. When abosorbs his yolk sac, feed him crickets, try to have them alive, but if he is too weak, go ahead and kill some. and then feed them. Feed him earth worms, mealworms, non-poisonous insects, try water plants, small feeder guppies, food sticks, freeze dried krill. Try to keep all the stuf that should be alive, alive for him when he eats...We have to get him ready for the wild. Also buy a viatmin supplement in the form of a powder so you can have it in his diet. Heres how you prepare vitamin supplemented food:
Take the food, put it in a plastic bag, lightly mist the foos so its just moist, not wet. spinkle a little powder so it\'s just enough to cover everything. Close the baggie, and shake. Let the abg sit for 15 minutes, then serve. The 15 minutes will alow the supplement to soak into the food, and not into the water of the aquarium. Repeat this every 3 days.
Feed him everyday with the supplement every 3 days. It\'s VERY important that you have avery wide variaty diet and well ballanced. Keep him untill he\'s stong, can catch food, and very healthy, then release him. For now have towls on the bottom of the plastic tub, have it very soft so that infection doesn\'t occure by their egg sacs. And don\'t have water either, have them completely dry, or else the yolk sac won\'t go down, and that water can cause infection. So just have dry towls, and a heatlamp set at 86-90 degrees F. Good Luck, and keep us posted, It\'s good to hear that the 4 are born and fine, and that the premmie is doing better!!!!
Willie
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2 Eastern Painted Turtles
2 Common Snapping Turtles
2 Texas Diamondback Terrapins
1 Razorback Musk
1 Texas Map Turtle

sbturtlegrlz6 · Level 4 Joined: 27 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

aww that\'s cute
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i LOVVVVVVVVVVVE TURTLES AND I HAVE TEN RES AND ONE PAINTER,I LOVE THEM THEIR NAMES ARE SPREE,MAC,REESE,CHUBBLES,BUBBLES,CLICK, FLOAT,REESIE,CABOODLES,SHESHE, Big eyed BABY JAWS!!! I LLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE TURTLES!!!!!!!!