Habitat - Outdoor :: Should I start planning a backyard pen for baby snapper?

Ponds and other outdoor enclosures.

Post Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 12:56 pm   Should I start planning a backyard pen for baby snapper?

Known animals that frequently visit my backyard are;

Two Garter Snakes
One Skunk
Thirty (And counting with the appearance of babies) Wild Turkeys

One Great Blue Heron
Unknown number of Gophers that live under the shed.
Unknown number of squirrels/chipmunks
Raccoons (Never seen in person, but I have been a victim of their trash bag raids in the past)

What are the guidelines to a good outdoor habitat? This baby snapper is admittedly my first turtle/herp (was planning on getting a Crocodile Skink pair). I've gotten parent permission to make use of a sandpit that we planned to make into a fire pit if a pond is needed. But I also heard that kiddie pools work well too.
ScorchedDragon
 
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Post Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:31 pm   Re: Should I start planning a backyard pen for baby snapper?

Yikes, so many predators !
Would it be too difficult for you to keep it indoors until he is bigger ? If you have no other options then you will need to do some research on how to build fences, putting nets over the water, etc. Baby turtles are extremely vulnerable and in the wild they don't have a great survival rate.
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PokePony
 
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Post Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:54 pm   Re: Should I start planning a backyard pen for baby snapper?

Way to small for outdoor pool or in ground pond. I would not. Unless you sit there watching all the time. Raccoons are by me to in city limits. Ones by my house I see are around me at 2am - 5am like clock work. Heron's also here , a baby turtle would not stand a chance. Snappers bask in shallow water for sun and a baby will be a target. Maybe when he gets about 3#'s I say outside would be ok. I only had one snapper in my time was about 14#'s until Hurricane Katrina got her and several other turtles. Never wanted a snapper but I took it away from a so called friend that was going to cook it. Turned out to be a great turtle.
Take your time , learn all you can . When you get everything down to a science then think about more. It's not cheap to setup a turtle at first , lots to learn too , for a happy and healthy turtle ! Save up ! I made a few ponds for neighbors and a small 5'x9'x2' deep pond is very small but cost $$$ to do it correct.

If just a simple area temporary to get sun with you watching him (a good fence with a kiddie pool) can work just remember you have a snapper they don't dry bask they "water bask".

For an idea I use this design for ponds and kits you can get. Video #1 is an idea for a good pond small but good for goldfish , Koi or turtles with a little modifying for safety and type of turtle! Instead of rocks on bottom , for a snapper I would go with mud on the liner. Also a fence and any cover may be needed. https://www.pondgardener.com/pages/how-to-videos

Anybody ever tell you that a common snappers get's real big and up to 30 lb's ? That depend on it's DNA could get bigger.
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