redearslider.com

Hi Everyone. I just acquired a large female Red Eared Slider and have been feeding it what the person who had it before me was giving to the turtle. It's freeze dried Krill and Wardleys reptile premium sticks. I feed her about 4 times daily and have her in a 20 gallon tank with a heating lamp and some large rocks for her to crawl out on. Is there any other food I should be giving her such as greens? This turtle is the size of a serving dish.

Plant matter becomes more important as they age (they become omnivorous) and yours certainly is an adult. How big is she (the shell, from the scute in back of her neck down to the one above her tail. Don't count the curve in the shell). Leafy greens--dandelions, red leaf lettuce, chicory, collard greens, aquatic plants like anachris and duck weed are all good. Check the posts in the forums for more info.

She's also being fed too often. Feed the pellets every other day, twice a week if she's overweight. You can (and should) give plant matter daily, though. For the pellets, give an amount that would fit into her head; don't include the neck; the plants/veggies can be given freely. Put some cuttlebone in the tank (look for the post on how to use it under nutrition, I think). The krill is really high in protein and should only be an occasional treat.

But she needs a bigger tank! Think 10 gallons of tank per inch of shell length as measured above. If it's not warm enough to have her outside so she can get unfiltered sunlight, she also needs a UVB light along with the heat lamp. (And a filter.)

Do some reading on this site and then if you have specific questions, just post them. And welcome!

She measures 6 1/2" from back of neck to back of shell. Thanks for the advice on feeding. Will have to get her a bigger tank. Is the sex determined by the shell> I was told that the bottom of the shell will be either flat for females and concave for males. Is this correct?

It's true for some species, but doesn't really apply to RES. (My male RES has a perfectly flat plastron). At around four inches, the male will get long spiky front claws and will have a big thick, sturdy-looking tail that tapers to a point. The anal vent will be closer to the tip than the shell. The female will be the opposite--front claws won't get noticeably longer, and the tail will be smaller and skinny with the vent closer to the shell than the tip of the tail. The female will also ultimately grow larger--10-12 inches, while the adult male will be approx. 7-9 inches. For me, the tail has always been the telling sign. Can you tell what the sex is?

Thanks for the info. Now I know that I've got a male instead of a female.

Really? He's got those nails and tail? What are you going to name him?

Since the kids at my school already named him Oscar, I'll guess I'll keep that name.

Welcome knuckles

What part of NY are you from? My wife is from Rochester and I am from Long Island. Our administrator Steve is also from NY

Welcome Knuckles

Welcome to the board Knuckles

RES Tampa I'm from Auburn, N.Y. about 40 miles east of Rochester and 25 miles west of Syracuse.

We will be in Rochester in June taking a little vacation and visiting our families. Hope it warms up by then.

This cold weather can't last much longer. Should be OK by time you get to Rochester.

hello i have two redear sliders i feed them gold fish and guppies and reptile sticks

hello is any one here talking right now? im new to this site