All Turtles Message Board

winddncer · Guest Joined: 15 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

Hello,

I have 2 Red-ear sliders who were living in our outdoor pond with eight koi friends. They were attacked earlier this week (we think by a coon)and now my RES are the only survivors. They were both injured in the attack. missing bits and pieces of their feet.

The larger one has one in-tact back leg, lost the other one a year ago. now both front feet are damaged. He's about 6 inches long.

The smaller one, about 4 inches, is missing her left front toes, right front foot (has the leg), and missing toes on both back feet.

They are inside in a large aquarium (I think 55gal) that I'm piecing together with what I have on-hand and what I can find. We've built up a beach area with a couple of bricks covered in small aqu. gravel. Because of their limited mobility right now, the beach has a couple of inches of water over it so they can float up onto it. There is a light over the beach, but it isn't a special bulb. I've got the rest of the tank filled with about 6 inches of water heated to about 75 degrees.

What else should I be doing?

I bought mealworms the other day, but they won't eat them or their turtle food that I have always fed them. They are alert, they are acting like they did in the pond. They float around drift onto the beach and rest in the light.

Does anybody here have experience with injured RES?

Nina

turrtlepower · Guest

I dont know exactly how to deal with the problem of your turtle... I personally would cut my losses and put them in a soup, but you are probably more attached to them than I am to mine.

There is, however, a more pressing matter, and that is how you deal with the menacing raccoon that caused this particular ruckus.

If you intend to rescue/keep your turtles, you will need to ensure this doesnt happen again. Aside from the obvious fencing and other barriers / wards, I reccomend the following:

Purchase a have-a-heart trap large enough for the perpetrator.

Bait and set the trap, and await for the raccoon to be caught.

Once you've caught the thing - and you'll need gloves for this - you need to rip him limb from limb. A hacksaw might work, but a powertool of some kind is probably best. You'll want to make sure you cut him into relatively even pieces, and try to sever the head intact.

Once done, place his body parts on the four corners of your house, but put his head on a stake very visible to other raccons - this is to serve as a warning and a message not to try a stunt like that again.

After that, your turtle sanctuary should be pretty safe from predators.

winddncer · Guest Joined: 15 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

Don't think I haven't thought of the many ways to dismember Rocky (raccoon). Every time I look at my two handicapped turtles, I want to go outside with the baseball bat and find him.

I have designed "Wanted" flier and am distributing them to the neighbors tomorrow. Mainly because some of my yuppie neighbors have dogs smaller than my turtles. Wouldn't want them to lose "Rover" to Rocky.

Nina

skslover · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:19 pm Post subject:

oh i know how you feel my turtle spike the 1st was stolen by a raccoon and we havent found him yet and we have had many fish killed by possums and ill tell you wat you should do
put antibitoic sab(yes the type used on humans it wont hurt them it could save them from possible death)on where they are hurt and take them to a vet asap and for youyr pond get a net to put over it that had an tie opening on it so you can pet them and if a raccon or possum or anything else tries to eat them iot cantand will fall in but not harma the turtles ^_^ need anymore help let me know and ill do what i can!
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