Other Turtle Discussion :: Is my YBS and MAP turtle big for thier age?

[Rocky YBS]

im wondaring if my turtles are the right size for thier age.
my male YBS is 15.2cm and my female map is 14.5cm.
they are both nearly 2(i think) i have had them for nearly 2years and bought them when the were both 1" big.
i feed them both 2times a day, morning and night.
they dont eat thier veggies.
but they are more carniverouse when young right?
also, how much is 15.2cm in inches?
this would be a great help.
i just want to know if they are a good size for thier age.

[SpotsMama]

15.2 centimeters converts to 6 inches.

14.5 centimeters converts to 5.7 inches.

They're pretty big for 2 year olds. What I've read is that it's in the normal range for a turtle to be as much as 4" at one year, then they will grow roughly another inch every year for awhile. Very rough - growth rates vary a lot based on a lot of factors including genetics.

It's ok to feed them two times a day if you're only feeding them a little bit each time. At their stage of life, they should be having no more than about a half a head's worth of pellets a day. If you divided that amount into two feedings it would be ok.

It's not unusual for them to prefer their pellets when they are young, but your guys need to start eating their vegetables. Have you seen these tips for enticing turtles to eat their veggies? Maybe they will help:

http://www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

[Rocky YBS]

thanks a lot.
i will start trying these methods and will not stop until my turts have thier greens/reds/yellows and others.
like i said, i am not sure how old they realy are, i have had bought them when they were 1" big and hve had them for 2 years.
my thoughts are, they are 2years old.
i dont feed them pellets, i feed them JBL turtle food witch is full of a balanced mixture of dried crustacea, water insects and sticks. the crustacea and sticks containing fish is carefully selected to meet the nutritional needs of turtles.
the whole crustacea guarantees an optimum supply of calcium required for healthy shell growth.
i coppied all of that off the box.
sounds yummy lol.

[pumpkinsherbet]

what are the nutritional facts posted on the food's container? just out of curiosity. i have some crustecea, too, but it's low in calcium, high in protein. vet said not to feed it to them too often.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

It is common for young turtles (hatchlings) to prefer meaty foods. But your turtles arent hatchlings anymore. You should realy start them on vegetables.

And yeah I agree that they are a little too big for being two..but maybe it has to do with the food that you have been feeding them? Insects and crustecea are too high in protein and it causes rapid growth which is unhealthy for your turtles. How much are you feeding them? Turtles that are over 1 year of age should be fed every other day.

My advice would be to start them on vegetables and a staple of Reptomin (preferably Reptomin baby since it is lower in protein and higher in calcium) and cut down on insects and crustecea to once a week. If your turtles refuse vegetables, many have said that they have had success with aquatic plants. It's worth checking out!

Good luck.


http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Rocky YBS, do you mind posting a picture of your turtles? I dont know if my eyes are playing tricks on me or what, but in your avatar it sort of looks like your YBS shell is pyramiding.

I could be wrong, it could be the angle that the picture was taken at, or just me being too tired, i dont know..but if you decide to post someone may tell you if it is pyramiding or not.

[Rocky YBS]

what are the nutritional facts posted on the food's container? just out of curiosity. i have some crustecea, too, but it's low in calcium, high in protein. vet said not to feed it to them too often.

i dont feed them a lot.
in the morning and at night.
and not that much, i sometimes leave them a dasy or two with leattuce
floating around hoping that it will be gone.

analysis of the food that i feed them:
32% Raw Protein.
4.5% Raw fat.
6.5% Raw Fibre
38% Raw Ash.
i hope it is healthy

[Rocky YBS]

Rocky YBS, do you mind posting a picture of your turtles? I dont know if my eyes are playing tricks on me or what, but in your avatar it sort of looks like your YBS shell is pyramiding.

I could be wrong, it could be the angle that the picture was taken at, or just me being too tired, i dont know..but if you decide to post someone may tell you if it is pyramiding or not.

o...lol
that is not a real pic of my turt in my avatar.
it looks 95% the same as mine.
my turts shell isnt going funky lol.
that turt looks verry identile to mine but my turts shell is in better shape.
no need yo worrie.
i dont have a digi cam so i cant post a pic.
i will get one soon though.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Hey I didnt mean for you to take off your avatar Put it back! I was just curious about it. So it was like a toy? That explains it..

Sorry, i was just concerned.

[Rocky YBS]

yeah it doesnt matter, no need to say sorry!!
its a pointy sort of shell because i had to make the pic smaller so i sort of messed it up.
and no its not a toy, i got the image off google.
its real and its called L.T (little turtle).
i dont really like my avatar so i took it off, i will put a pic on my avatar as soon as i get a PIC OF MY TURTLE.
seen as tho i dont have a digi, it will be difficalt lol.