General Care Discussion :: A turtle found us - advice please

[Holly]

I have two ponds of approximately 1500 gallons each in my backyard. Both manmade. In the grass edged pond there is a 3" - 4" red ear slider. And I don't know what to do about it.

The pond in question is approximately 36" deep, well populated with goldies, frogs, plants, etc. and in half shade, half sun. Very well established pond about 12 years old.

I live in a very suburban area so there isn't much chance of a turtle wandering by. I'm assuming that he's been released or lost by his owner.

He is welcome to stay unless it is dangerous to his health to do so.

Is there anything specific I need to do to for him? Should he be caught and placed with a rescue? Leave him alone and let him live out his life there if he chooses?

Can he hibernate there? We keep a "heater" in the pond to prevent complete icing over (for oxygen exchange) and there is about a 2" thick mud bottom. The pond does not freeze solid, only about 12" in the worst winters freeze.

I've never had a turtle before.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Welcome to the board! A turtle is a wonderful pet to enjoy, though there are some considerations you should make.

First, RES are not native to Maryland, so he is likely an escapee. Being so small, he is also likely very young. If there are no known turtle water areas nearby, and he's friendly towards you, he's probably captive-bred. If you would like him to stay, you may need to build walls around the pond to keep him from wandering off. If you are in a suburban area, he can easily be hit by a car or taken by a predator without protection outdoors. You will also want to provide something for him to bask on (such as a rock) and something to hide in if a predator shows up (like a large hollow tube or pot underwater). Predators can include local dogs, birds of prey, neighborhood children, wild animals.

If your pond is chlorinated, you may want to consider dechlorinating it. The chlorine can irritate their eyes and he may not want to stay around because of that. Hibernation is not suggested, though if you can get an indoor setup inside, you can move him in there when it gets cold out. Esp. since your pond only half-freezes. Turtles' metabolism is based on their temperature, and if they are cold enough, they will stop eating, but if they aren't cold enough to hibernate, they'll stay awake, basically starving to death. It sounds like your pond isn't ideal for hibernating or remaining in, so he'll need an indoor place eventually.

If this doesn't sound great to you (and don't feel bad, we get a lot of people whose lifestyle this doesn't fit into), it would be best for him if he was caught and given to someone. I would suggest first asking on the board here if anyone local wants him. RES are overpopulated and hard to place. However, you could see if the National Zoo would take him, esp. since he seems to be wandering around homeless. I saw they had a nice pond that was full of turtles there, so they might be willing to take him or find somewhere for him.

If you do want to keep him, please ask as many questions as you need! The main site here, www.redearslider.com, has a ton of information on it.

[Holly]

Thanks for the reply!

The pond is as biologically natural as possible. No chemicals at all. Naturally cycled so that there is biological control of ammonia, nitrogen and nitrates.

So this begs the question, how far would a turtle travel to find a new home? We are within a 1/4 mile of two wetland areas and it's been very, very wet here this spring, to the point that we've had some flooding.

Ok, another question. If he is an escaped pet, does he know to eat what's in the pond or should I find a food for him?

According to what I've read, he's too small to be legally sold in MD, seems they must be at least 4" and he's smaller than that if that is shell length.

Lastly, do you think he's safe for now? We found him b/c he was utilizing a centered pot as a basking area. The pond has a ton of hiding spots both around the edges and under the water because the fish need to hide from the local herons. I worry about him being able to eat and survive while I make a decision.

[marisa]

Sounds like s/he found a nice home. With wetlands being fairly close to you, it's possible if he were wild, that he could have wandered the distance. I wouldn't worry about him starving while you decide what to do---the pond sounds like it's got enough for him to eat. You could get some pellets like Reptomin and see if he's interested in them. If he is, it would add to the case for thinking he was someone's pet.

If you do plan to keep him, make the area escape proof---if he wanders off again, he may not be so lucky to find a set-up like yours.