General Care Discussion :: What to do with my RES

[holmeed]

My wife got me 2 RES in late april, babys, shells 4 inches. I kept them in a big cattle tank when it was cold but have had them outside in 90 gallon pond liner. The one boy got out. I live very rural in SE ky and their is a BIG pond right behind us about 200 yards away and another about 400 yards away. Hopefully the boy made it to the big pond.It was directly in back of where he got out. Hopefully instinct got him there.

My question is can he make it?

The girl just always wants out of the pond tank. Its been hot and I refill with colder water when it gets to hot. She can't be pregnant this young can she? She is getting worms, and strawberry's and turtle food, meal worms. Since the boy got out about a week ago she seems more reclusive. Would it be in her best interest to let her go in the BIG pond in back of our house? Like I said we are up in hills in SE KY not far from Tn border. Very rural...

I want to do whats best for berta (turtle)
Thanks for any help...

[rsour24]

first of all. do not release your other turtle. i do nto think she can be gravid yet. also if i were you i might make a trip to those ponds. walk the distance and see if you can find your turtle.

[holmeed]

I looked many times. Its a big pond.

So they are too young to make it in the wild and/or hibernate?

How would they make in the wild? I understand I'm not that far south..zones 6 to 7 however.....

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Captive born turtles should never be released no matter what their age is. They depend on us to feed them and take care of them and they do not know how to hunt or survive from predators in the wild.

[Marcus.85]

I don't think CB turtles can't make it in the wild. Turtles act mostly on istinct, like all other reptiles, therefore they'd be able to hunt and survive.

[holmeed]

No one should have these reptiles as pets then. They are miserable in captivity. I have done everything from clean water to good food.. all she wants to do is get out of her tank. All the boy did was hide before he got out.. They are a HUGE pain in the [---]... Wish wife would of never got em...

They should NOT be pets. I'm going to let her go in this big pond back here. Its deep, we are out in the country.

I'm in S. Ky they can make it... can't spend another 400 bucks ..

Guess no one really knows if they can make it down here in the wild...

Then how do they make it anywhere?????

As a believer that ALL living things are just big mistakes... all you have to do is look at mother nature....

PS- Its going to get in the 60's at night here this week. Now I suppose thats to freakin cold for her to stay outside???

[holmeed]

I don't think CB turtles can't make it in the wild. Turtles act mostly on istinct, like all other reptiles, therefore they'd be able to hunt and survive.

cb turtles? Whats cb mean? These are RES

[Marcus.85]

I don't think CB turtles can't make it in the wild. Turtles act mostly on istinct, like all other reptiles, therefore they'd be able to hunt and survive.

cb turtles? Whats cb mean? These are RES

Captive Bred...

[steve]

There's no way to be certain if he made it to the other pond. If it's hot out, he might restrict his movements when it's cooler in the morning or evening. He can go for days without water and food, so hopefully he headed towards the right direction. Are there RES in either of those ponds?

Whether or not it is safe to release depends on if it is CB, how they were handled, fed, etc. Most likely it is not in her best interest to be released. If you can not or do not wish to keep her, then I would try to find a local herpetological organization that might be able to re-home her.

[holmeed]

Thanks....I have her in big pre formed 90 gallon pond now. Make sure it doesnt get to hot. Clean water , filter.All she wants to do is get out of it.
She can't be pregnant this young can she?

If we got her in April and they were just old enough to sold legally ( 4 inches)? .... so she can't be pregnant I hope.

I am going to keep her in this pre formed pond indoors then. Have submersible heaters coming... big filter..


oh and I have no idea if these pond(s) have any RES. Snapping turtles yes...

[steve]

You can feel for eggs, or take her out to see if she wants to make a nest -- but at 4", it is unlikely she is gravid. Is the area around the pond fenced in? Does she act this way all the time or just when people are around (which might just be begging for food).

[holmeed]

"Is the area around the pond fenced in? "

The pre formed one I have her in? No fencing ,its about 3/4 full. Its not in the ground.When I bring it in I will fill it all the way up I guess and find something to keep her from getting out. After 4 months she is still freaked out, so was the male. Not much noise going on way out here. I move around alot but... she does it alot trying to scale the plastic pond. Now she just hides.
When I bring her in their will all kinds of activity around. She will probably never come out from under rock. I have a big rock shaped with a bend so they can hide under...all the male did..hide... now her

These are not pets.......they all belong in wild...now if I had a HUGE pond......but still have to bring her in for winter..

[marisa]

Did they have a basking area and plants in the pond for them to hide under? They can feel (and be) vulnerable without places to hide.

[MrsQuick]

Maybee they were turtles caught wild and are scared of humans? I've had my babies since hatchlings and they don't hide accept for entertainment (playing with eachother OR a loud noise that startles them), these are acting scared. Where you are they should be fine in an outdoor pond. I would think long as it has fish and your supplying pellets along with the fish on regular intervals at the pond she should be fine maybee a small fence around it? I can't imagine you'd need anything super expansive to keep the turtle in (you could prolly make a natural fencing of large rocks you have already on your land or something). I wouldn't recommend releasing her as you don't know for sure she was CB (captive bred) and Captive Bred prolly wouldn't be able to care for themselves naturally (as they've never had too), though I am a firm believer in instincts..we don't know for sure if shed be ok.. But it sounds to me like they were caught wild and resold for profit. Captive bred are used to people and people noise and traffic. This doesn't seem to be the case.In the pond she could bask naturally and have her water naturally..I think shed do well....Just keep an eye on her while your out and about and make sure she has fish she can eat and pellets. Thats my thought.

As far as the male, I would just keep an eye out for him and if you see him put him in with his buddy. He prolly ran and hid in that other pond like you said, and if you put her in there and fence it in You'll prolly find him already in there as INSTINCTIVELY he'd run to hide int he water. Or if hes wandering he would come back to water, and he knows where the water is, so hell try and come back to it unless hes found another source. Its not like you can call in the Marines to find a baby turtle that wandered out..gez..Good Luck!