General Care Discussion :: What to do?

[notoch351]

Hi,
I have a adult male res currently in a 90 gallon, I recently acquired a female who is slightly smaller from a friend who could no longer care for it and had it in poor conditions. I introduced the female to my male however they do not get along what so ever. I have neither the time, money, or interest for another setup however, understand these turtles our now my responsibility.

Heres my question, is there anyway they will adjust and get along? anything I can do?

I have a large pond in my backyard that is roughly 4 feet deep, I live in southern ontario and summer is almost over but if I 'turtle proofed' it, is there any chance I could put them in there for the winter? could they survive? I imagine it would be difficult to get them to hibernate.

To be honest I don't want this second turtle, I'm attending university in september and have no interest in this, however I don't want to dump this on someone else or give them improper care.

Thanks for your advice

[sflemin2]

Thats a tough one because its near impossible to find people who will actually take care of turtles and most shelters are full. It will be too cold outside for them :/. How big is the female? You could use a large rubbermaid for her until you find her a home. Are you still keeping the male?

[notoch351]

Another setup just isn't an option. The female is about 5'' , and if it was possible I would plan on hibernating them both. I can't see why it would be to cold (its not the Arctic), painted turtles as well as other species are native here. I'm sure I've even seen res in natural ponds too.

I have two large outdoor bubblers to oxygenate the pond, as well as this heat thing that floats at the top to keep a hole. The pond isn't huge, but it doesn't freeze fully, I have no doubt a turtle could live through the winter.

But is this a good idea? how will they adjust to being outdoors and hibernating for the first time? is it to risky?

[sflemin2]

I am just going to say that it would make them very uncomfortable and unhappy to be outside in Canada during the winter. RES are meant to be in the south. We keep their water in the upper 70s and the basking area at 10 degrees above that because thats where they are suppose to be. Just because they may not die (which they might) doesnt mean you should do that.. that is just as cruel as giving them to someone with a small tank. You see RES in the wild because they are sold for $0.50 a piece and people toss them outside when they are tired of them. Its a huge problem.

Why did you ask if it was ok, disagree with my answer, then ask again? I am sorry it isnt what you wanted to hear. RES are very expensive animals to keep ...thats just how it is. You can keep asking until someone says its just fine but it wont make your turtles healthy in the end.

[notoch351]

I'm sorry I should have made my question more clear, I wanted to know how well a captive indoor turtle would make out outside during the winter. I understand its not recommended and would be hard, I just thought it would be nice to here the forums thoughts and feedback as well as personal experiences.

RES are native to states that experience winter they are not just 'meant for the south'. I also find it extremely hard to imagine a large, outdoor, protected, all year round, pond in canada is 'cruel' just as cruel as a 15 gallon. Captive res out in the winter isn't uncommon nor cruel.

I have given my turtle more that substantial care and know the costs, I understand that they are expensive however this turtle is a rescue and that is why I am on this forum asking this question.

Fortunately I don't jump into decisions and am open mined ( I don't look for 'what I want to hear'). You'll be glad to hear my turtles won't be 'unhappy' and 'unhealthy' as I have decided that from researching I don't want to go the pond route. I hope you understand I was just trying to learn more, gain feedback, and investigate my options.

[Trevor's_Mom]

I'm in Calgary and am very glad you have decided against trying to get the turtles to hibernate in a pond over the winter. For a captive turtle who has never hibernated, it would be a sentence to certain death I'm sure. Hibernation is a very tricky thing for an RES especially in a Canadian winter where it is NOT their natural habitat and they have not done it before.

I understand that you can't keep both if it means another complete set up, I've had my Trevor since he was 6 weeks old- he's 18 years old now- and I thank god I decided on just one RES when I brought him home all those years ago. I can't imagine the expense and time of caring for two res'.

Honestly I think your only option is to use a rubbermaid for the new female until you find a new home for her, or find an organization or rescue nearby that will take her. Your heart was in the right place when you took her in out of her lousy living conditions, and it would've been great had your male been ok with her, so now you've got to find her a permanent, suitable, living home.

Good luck!

[steve]

I would try to find a family member/friend/neighbor who might be interested. Assistance from an experienced keeper to get things setup might be a good incentive.

There are also some good points above. Creating a bare-minimum setup can be accomplished even if you have only small available space. If that doesn't work, your best bet would be http://littleresq.net Yes,RES are overpopulated but not as severely so in Canada.