Photo Gallery :: I'm new, with a new baby!

[Tadinu]

So I was working a few days ago, and someone asked if they could drop off a turtle. Usually I would say no, but people are ALWAYS looking for RES for their ponds, so he would be easy to give away. Well when he was brought into my store, he was in one of those Critter Trail plastic cages, with a few rocks, and about an inch of water, and was definately not a RES like I thought. I saw him and immediately wanted to bring him home. I don't know what type of turtle he is, so I wanted to see if someone could tell me, also this little guy/girl needs a name! I was thinking something small, like Chip, or Squirt (<3 Finding Nemo), but I can't decide!

[Tenodera]

It's a cooter!!

Looks a lot like my Serra!

I can't tell for sure what kind of cooter, though!

[Tadinu]

Wow, I looked at some of the pictures of cooters and thought maybe he was, but aren't those kinda rare? I didn't think one would just be dropped off at some pet store lol.

Still need a name =P

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Wow, I looked at some of the pictures of cooters and thought maybe he was, but aren't those kinda rare? I didn't think one would just be dropped off at some pet store lol.

Still need a name =P

Nope, they are nowhere near rare, they are actually quite common and easy to find..they usually cost around 15$ here in the US.

The turtle looks nice, though I think you could raise up the water level a bit more

[Tadinu]

The tank is only the little 5.5 gallon tank... that's all I had on hand at the moment, didn't know I was going to be bringing home a turtle =( But as soon as I can he will be put into AT LEAST a 10 gallon, and if I can a 20L. I don't think I can raise the water level too much more without him being pretty close to the heat lamp. Though looking at the pictures, the level looks lower then it really is. Its about 6 inches, and he's only 3 inches long. It's not too bad, better then what he WAS in anyways =P He was in that little Critter Keeper for 3 years!

[xsavingsaturdayx]

well cooters end up growing to be up to 14 inches, some bigger, so your turtle will require a tank around 140 gallons or more when it is an adult.

they need 10 gallons of water per every inch of their shell. for example, if the turtle is around 3 inches: a 30 gallon tank would be good.

He seems a little small for being 3 years old Hopefully good UVB light and a correct diet (read as much as you can) will get him back in good shape.

[Tadinu]

Well, I would love to have him in my room in a big tank, but I dont have any more room, and my brother just left for the army, so I was thinking about asking my parents if I can maybe put him in his old room. A 20L is the same dimensions as a 30, so maybe I'll just get a 30.

He seems to eat EVERYHING. I put a little bit of Red Leaf Lettuce in there, and came back a few mins later to find holes all through it, and it was gone a few mins after that. The people who gave it to me also gave me some Reptomin turtle pellets, and I even experimented with these little turtle treat packets (they come in fish and seafood flavor). He snapped it right out of my fingers! He's not too shy, only when I move fast, and he let me pet his head, which didn't feel like a RES, it was more sticky/slimy.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Well, I would love to have him in my room in a big tank, but I dont have any more room, and my brother just left for the army, so I was thinking about asking my parents if I can maybe put him in his old room. A 20L is the same dimensions as a 30, so maybe I'll just get a 30.

He seems to eat EVERYHING. I put a little bit of Red Leaf Lettuce in there, and came back a few mins later to find holes all through it, and it was gone a few mins after that. The people who gave it to me also gave me some Reptomin turtle pellets, and I even experimented with these little turtle treat packets (they come in fish and seafood flavor). He snapped it right out of my fingers! He's not too shy, only when I move fast, and he let me pet his head, which didn't feel like a RES, it was more sticky/slimy.

well keep in mind that with the good care that you are going to provide him with, he is going to grow, rather large too. he wont be able to live in a 30 gallon for long (probably a few months to a year) so you are going to need to shop around for something bigger sooner or later

a cheap alternative are stock tanks, or rubbermaid containers: http://redearslider.com/tanks.html

be sure to read about UVB lighting: http://redearslider.com/light_sources.html

basking area: http://redearslider.com/basking.html

diet: http://redearslider.com/index_nutrition.html

and most importantly water quality: http://redearslider.com/index_water_quality.html

[Tenodera]

ooh its great your cooter took to veggies so quickly, mine did too.

the food packets, are they called Aquatic Turtle Yummies by chance?
I have the same thing.

[Tadinu]

Yeah, its the Aquatic Turtle Yummies. My manager mentioned a few days before that her Bearded Dragon LOVED his, so I thought I'd give it a try, and boy did he take to them. I put a small chunk in a realized that it sunk and went straight to the filter. So I got another chunk, held it in my fingers and put it just above the water, and he came right over and snapped it right out, startled me a bit actually Tried with a little pellet too, same thing!

I'm really starting to take to this little guy!

[Kayra33]

Wow, Cooter's look a lot like RES but with no red ears.....he/she is very pretty.

[Safdar]

Cute.

[Turtle_Turtle]

lol it looks just like serra except a little bigger

[windowskiller987]

It's not a cooter it's a Florida Red Belly. I have one named cootie (because I thought she was a cooter.)

[Tenodera]

A florida red belly IS a cooter.