Turtle

[Cain]

So, about two months ago I drained this big plastic pool tub thing in my front yard. It's supposed to be some kind of fountain. Well, I drained it so it could be cleaned and never got around to filling it. A couple weeks ago we had these big rain storms and it filled back up. About a week ago, I see this turtle in there... decent sized. Not tiny, but not big... he's probably about as big as my hand.

In October when it starts to get colder, if he's still here, I'm going to take him out and move him to an aquarium so I can make sure he can still swim and not get frozen. I don't know what kind of turtle he is though, and I'm not going to pick him up to find out cause I might piss him off and make him leave.

At first I thought he was a water turtle, but he seems to be out of the water a lot. He is always near the surface or on a cement block that's in the tub. When he sees me, I hear a *plop* and see him swimming like a mad man back into the water and hiding in the holes of the block.

I basically need to know what he eats, what temperature the water should be, whether I need a heat lamp and what that temperature should be, and whatever else there is to know. But, I'm lazy and don't want to look it up. So, here's a challenge to all you intelligent peoples... I challenge you to find the answers to my questions.

[Junket]

Animals do a good job at surviving on their own, I wouldn't bother trying to remove him. Once it gets too cold, he'll probably get out and burrow somewhere.

[anachronistic]

No offense, but I think animals have a better chance surviving on their own. I don't like caging animals.

[Cain]

That's not answering my questions.

Come October, I'm taking that turtle out of that tub.

[IndiReloaded]

Cain, I kept a turtle all during my undergrad (to my roomates occasional dismay). Eventually, it got too big so we let it go.

Can you describe it a bit more? Does it have red along the side of its head by chance? Could be a painted turtle/red eared slider if so.

BTW, don't leave your turtle in a bathtub? They carry salmonella. You need to wash your hands w/some bleach after handling.

[IndiReloaded]

Also, he won't survive a winter in something that shallow. If you live in a temperate/colder climate. It sounds like mbe someone's pet escaped?

Your best bet would be to move him to a location where you know there are turtles (unless you want a pet). He will dig in the mud like Fras said for winter.

[Mish]

Post a pic of the little bugger so we can identify him. I'm guessing different turtles will be into different things.

[Cain]

Also, he won't survive a winter in something that shallow. If you live in a temperate/colder climate. It sounds like mbe someone's pet escaped?

Your best bet would be to move him to a location where you know there are turtles (unless you want a pet). He will dig in the mud like Fras said for winter.

I've seen him out of the water and saw no red. I did, however, see white along the side of his head. Also, he's not kept in an actual tub, and I haven't handled him yet. There's a plastic pond in my front yard that is about 2 ft deep that he's in. Where I live, there's woods in the backyard and a creek runs through my property. I assume he was in there and decided that he'd rather be in this tub. He can climb onto the cement block so he'd leave the tub if he wanted.

Also, I like the little guy so I don't mind the idea of keeping him as a pet. That's why I want an idea of what all I'll need in order to keep him alive.

[IndiReloaded]

I kept mine in one of those open turtle tanks until he got too big. I moved him to an aquarium set up with rocks on a grade w/water at one end that he could submerge in. I had a heat lamp in one corner on one of the flat rocks but another area without so he didn't get too hot. A small pan of water to drink from. Basically, a lizard set up is what you want but w/water.

Pet store can give you some turtle food/pellets. I also fed him/her/it hamburger w/blunt forceps as a treat, also lettuce & shredded carrots each day. When he got bigger, I would buy some small fish that he would hunt. If you want to coax him out to have a better look, try the hamburger. Those suckers are carnivorous, lol.

Hope this helps Cain.

PS, its not this, is it?

[Gribble]

I caught a box turtle once when I was a kid. I named him Michaelangelo. And then he laid eggs and ate them so I let him go.

Post a picture.

[IndiReloaded]

I caught a box turtle once when I was a kid. I named him Michaelangelo. And then he laid eggs and ate them so I let him go.

Post a picture.

LOL, so wouldn't that make 'he' a 'she' then?

[Cain]

I kept mine in one of those open turtle tanks until he got too big. I moved him to an aquarium set up with rocks on a grade w/water at one end that he could submerge in. I had a heat lamp in one corner on one of the flat rocks but another area without so he didn't get too hot. A small pan of water to drink from. Basically, a lizard set up is what you want but w/water.

Pet store can give you some turtle food/pellets. I also fed him/her/it hamburger w/blunt forceps as a treat, also lettuce & shredded carrots each day. When he got bigger, I would buy some small fish that he would hunt. If you want to coax him out to have a better look, try the hamburger. Those suckers are carnivorous, lol.

Hope this helps Cain.

PS, its not this, is it?

Without actually taking him out of the water I'm not real sure, but that white stripe on the side of the head looks about right from what I saw when he was swimming around. What kind of turtle is it?

[IndiReloaded]

Cain, the photo caption says yellow-belly, but it looks just like my old red ear slider.

FYI, those things are the rat equivalent of the reptile world. They spread like crazy. Aren't you in Cali? When you have the chance, go visit the pond by the physics building at CalTech, they are everywhere there.

But they are cool, no doubt. I used to take mine outside and let it run around & it knew how to find its way back inside. They are pretty intelligent for their size. They are also aggressive. When they get bigger, they will snap at your fingers to watch out. Mine seemed to enjoy hunting fish & tadpoles in the water part of its terrarium. They need to eat underwater, btw.

I'd keep it for the winter & observe it. Feed it well (make it hunt tho) & then release it to your local river/large pond in spring. Have fun.

[Cain]

Cain, the photo caption says yellow-belly, but it looks just like my old red ear slider.

FYI, those things are the rat equivalent of the reptile world. They spread like crazy. Aren't you in Cali? When you have the chance, go visit the pond by the physics building at CalTech, they are everywhere there.

But they are cool, no doubt. I used to take mine outside and let it run around & it knew how to find its way back inside. They are pretty intelligent for their size. They are also aggressive. When they get bigger, they will snap at your fingers to watch out. Mine seemed to enjoy hunting fish & tadpoles in the water part of its terrarium. They need to eat underwater, btw.

I'd keep it for the winter & observe it. Feed it well (make it hunt tho) & then release it to your local river/large pond in spring. Have fun.

No, I'm in Ohio.

He didn't get trapped in this tub and I never put him in there. He wants to be in there... just showed up and has been chilling ever since. There's little insects in the water, so I'm thinking that maybe he's eating that? I don't know what he'd be eating in that tub right now aside from algae and insects.

Maybe I should go grab him out of there and take a look real quick.

[IndiReloaded]

Sorry to sound ignorant, but I don't know anything about the climate in Ohio. Are there hard winters there? If so, yes, rescue the poor bugger.