General Care Discussion :: New turtle owner.... A lot to learm:

[afton]

Hello all!

Alright, I am a new turtle owner.... and I am very naive to the complex turtle universe. Twice now I have pulled two little (about the size of a thumbnail) white balls..... I can only assume they come from my RES (The Godfather) because he is the only individual occupying the tank. I do not know what they are! Any ideas? It couldn't be his feces could it? anyways, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Afton

[octpusgirl8]

How big is your turtle? It sounds like it could be eggs.

[afton]

It (I say that because I thought he was a male) is about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide.

[Daniel3507]

are the front claws long or short?
http://www.redearslider.com/determining_sex.html

[afton]

Long, that is why I figured it is a male. I have not examined the underside of his tail.... but I was trying to build a trust there.... thought he might feel a little violated this early in the relationship.

[briannashea]

haha! you don't have to violate anybody. don't try to lift its tail while it's basking or anything like that, just pick it up by the shell with both hands and look underneath. if its front claws are long like you say it's probably a boy so he'll probably be very un-shy before you know it when he starts fanning, and then you'll feel like he's the one who crossed the line in the relationship, hahaha.

I'm not sure what the white balls are if they aren't eggs, but to give the true turtle pros on the forum some more info: are they sinking or floating? do they break up or are they solid? I'm sure someone will help you figure it out.

[BullDog]

Pics of the nails and tail can help us determine his/her gender.

I've never heard of feces being white. Don't suppose you have a pic of it?

Unless it's something from the environment that fell in the tank, I suspect it may be eggs... In which case it would be wise to set up a nesting area. Check out this page for some info:
http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html

[afton]

The little white balls float, they don't smell or anything to that affect.... I have not tried to figure out their consistency as of yet, but if I find one again I will venture to find out what it feels like for the sake of my turtle. The balls are solid, the first one hung around for about a day before I cleaned it up. I noticed that after he ate some krill that the little white ball had a slight pinkish tint towards the center.... I have no clue what is up with him. I will take a picture the next time I find one, and I'll take a picture of his feet and underside so hopefully some one can help me determine what sex he is (I do hope he is a male, his name just wouldn't fit if he was a she "The Godfather")

[BullDog]

Hey, girls can be mafia bosses too

The front claws are the ones that will help us determine sex

[afton]

The front claws are positively like those in the picture for the male sliders. Could it be vomit? I wouldn't imagine it would look like that.... but then again I am a first time turtle parent.

[BullDog]

Vomit usually looks like whatever they were eating last. I've only seen one of mine vomit once. Ralph was gorging himself on veggies, and a few minutes later, the veggies came back up in pretty much the same form.

[afton]

I really hope this isn't as abnormal as I am beginning to think it is. I will wait to see if I find anymore white balls, if so I believe it may be time to take him to a vet. I am worried now! I will still post those pictures to ensure it isn't eggs.