Anyone know about turtles? Help Please!

[cowgirl11]

Hi,
I found a red ear slider in the dirt down the street from my house.. Its been hot all week and he's in pretty bad shape. His shell is peeling and deformed.. I put him in a containing with water, flat rocks for him to climb on, and a heat lamp over the rocks.. Anything else I can do for the poor guy?

 

[b.hromada]

My daughter and I found one this past Sunday. Sometimes they go looking for other water holes. THe one I found was on the on ramp of I-95. Couldn't leave her there, so we picked her up and dropped her off at a park nearby with a canal, with lots of other turtles. Her shell was dry and the algae was peeling off it, so she was probably out of water for a while. Let me tell you, she swam away FAST!!!

I think that what you're doing sounds good to me. Keep an eye on him/her, then see if you've got a canal or lake nearby, where you can let it go. Best of luck!!!

 

[love-my-wolves]

I'm no expert, but I have 2 red ears, and it sounds like you have the right start. Be sure he has good quality food. Just so you know, my turtles shells peel as they get older and if they spend a lot of time sunbathing, so that might not be a problem. Good luck!!!

 

[SourRoses]

Don't know about the deformities.. but to at least help the shell along, you can put a calcium source in the water. There are products you can buy at the pet store.. or in a pinch you can grind up egg shells. I would use a lot of eggs shells for a turtle.. make sure they have no egg remnants left on them and pulverize them the best you can. Other than that.. feed him well and make sure his water stays clean with a filter. Mine absolutely adored grasshopers. They're free... fun to go make some kids catch... and entertaing to watch the turtle eat

. My turtle was named 'Shelley'

 

[redhen]

Do you have a water hole you can release him at? He'll do better in the wild.. i think.

 

[ByeByeBlackBird]

http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/tour15.htm

 

[Archae]

Where do you live? They are native to some parts of the US even though you can find them almost everywhere. The shell pealing may not be bad as turtle do shed them naturally over their lifetimes it is when they are doing it excessively. Can you post a pic? Other then that I think you are off to a great start they do need a very good filter probably with two to three times the power that you would use to filter a fish tank of the same size (turtles are dirty little guys.) Turtles love anything that is red or at least mine do so treat him well sounds like he has had a rough couple of days.

 

[cowgirl11]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to take him to a local pond and let him go this weekend, there's plenty of turtles there!

 

[cowgirl11]

Well I took him and...He can't swim!! He sank straight down like lead. Head first. I took him out and now I'm trying to find a turtle rescue for him.

 

[love-my-wolves]

I'm sure he can swim! Mine do that all the time, if you pick them up, then put them back in the water, they fall HARD all the way to the bottom! Then you hear a loud CLUNK as they hit the bottom, and worry that they are injured. They don't start swimming for about 10 minutes, I think it's a predator protection thing. Act like a possum, and all that. LOL! Did you get ahold of a rescue?