Tanner went to the vet today to have his claw checked out. The vet said Tanner's set up and care was excellent. He showed me a scar that Tanner has on his left "arm" just above the bad claw (I thought it was skin getting ready to shed). The scar and claw made him believe Tanner almost had his whole arm bitten off by another turtle and that his "bad" claw had been broken but is now healed. The "bad" claw is actually "good" - no signs of infection.
This vet was fantastic - Dr. Paul Raiti. He specializes in reptiles and keeps several snakes, lizards and turtles as pets. He's located in Mt. Vernon Westchester County, NY and has been featured in several newspapers (clippings which are hanging in his office). He took over the animal hospital he is currently in, in 1984. So he's had many years of experience. Here's a few things he said to me that I wanted to pass along:
1) RES are very aggressive and should be kept alone whenever possible. If you want to keep more than one, they should be females not males or kept in separate tanks.
2) Although you don't want your turtle to hibernate in captivity they way they do in the wild, water temperature can be lowered to between 65 and 70 degrees F in the very cold winter while maintaining their basking temps at the normal for your turtle (mine likes it at 93degrees). This allows their digestive system to "rest" since they eat much less during the winter.
3) Adult male RES kept alone can have a tank that is 75 gallons minimum, as long as it is filled as much as possible with water and has very little decorations/rocks. He based this on the width of the tank being at least 18" (twice the size of the shell) so the turtle has room to turn without bumping into glass. (Adult female RES need much more space than males and should have at least 120 gallons, also filled as much as possible, with a nesting area.)
5) If keeping hatchlings (any turtle under 3"), he recommends having a vet check them every 6 months to ensure that the turtle isn't sick since smaller turtles are at higher risk of getting ill. After they have grown, a yearly visit is recommended.
I mentioned the info I had gotten here and he said it is exact as to the care, feeding, lighting, habitat, etc. for RES. Thanks to all for the great info which saved Tanner's life.
