# What kind of turtle is this?



## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

I rescued this little guy from a tiny one gallon bowl. Thing is, I have no idea what kind of turtle he is. I took him to the reptile store but was told to bring him back on Friday when the owner would be in so he could take a guess. What do you guys think? Right now he's in a ten gallon and we're calling him Donatello


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I think that is a Box Turtle. I am not sure,though. Are the eyes red? Male Box turtles have red eyes.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I have no idea, what about a yellow eared slider? Looks like the one my friend used to have.


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

Musk turtle maybe?


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

It's definately an aquatic or semi-aquatic but I have no idea what kind :/


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

What does the bottom of his shell look like?


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Could it be a Sonoran Mud Turtle?

http://www.californiaherps.com/turtles/pages/k.s.sonoriense.html


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I think it's definitely some kind of mud turtle. It's certainly not a slider, they have a more streamlined shell.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

I didn't think about taking a picture of the bottom of him... I will do so tonight. When I had taken him to the reptile store, the newbie of an employee guessed either mud turtle or snapping turtle. I'll post the picture of his underside later tonight. I just want to know what the best way to take care of him is. Like, does he need deeper or shallow water, what kind of bulb do I need for him, do I need a heater for the water as well, how do I control humidity, is a glass top or a screen top better, what does he eat, what live foods would he like? That kind of thing. I am a total noob.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Well, when you know what kind of turtle you have you can look up his needs. Sorry I can't help you because I had red eared sliders for years and only know about them. Good luck though  He's cute. I think he looks young but that's me.


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## Leeniex (Aug 14, 2011)

He's adorable. I've been dying for a turtle but if I ever came home with one my husband would throw me out, lol.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Lol yeah my bf keeps telling me he doesn't want a petting zoo when we get married. My dad is about to throw me out as it is but I just HAD to rescue the little guy.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

This is Donatello's underbelly


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

awh!!!!
hes so tiny!!
He looked twice his size in the 1st photos. But now that I have a hand/fingers to compare his size to.....he is epically adorable.
He looks like your average snapping turtle to me. I tried to save an alligator snapping turtle from a busy BUSY road way in my town. Jerk swayed and crushed the turtle's left hind leg. I was pissed and so heart broken for him.
I dropped him off at my vet whom was down the street. Last I heard is they fixed his leg, are working on piecing his shell and he'd go into "rehab".


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Aww... that poor turtle. I will be taking him to someone who is supposed to know a good deal about turtles tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find out what he really is so that I can provide the best care for him.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

He does look young.
I'm going to have to say mud turtle, I've caught a lot of snappers and he looks nothing like one. They're total jerks and I'm sure you'd figure it out soon if he was a snapper. He doesn't have the beak. His tail is longer, but snappers don't have flat shells like that.
The good news is that mud turtles are on the smaller range and easier to care for. All turtles are a challenge, but he should be easier than a slider.
You're going to have to pick up a basking lamp, and a full spectrum UVA/UVB light. Some people say only UVB, but a full spectrum would be better for him, note that some bulbs say full spectrum but only provide one of the two, so look for one that says it has both UVA and UVB.
For starters, romaine lettuce and earthworms are a good feeding start. Different species have different plant or animal preferences so that's something to look into.
You're going to want to pick up a high calcium turtle vitamin supplement. The calcium and the full spectrum light are crucial to keeping his shell from becoming sick and deformed.
A good solution to the tank issue is one of those huge rubbermaids, they usually provide enough space.
Does he look and act healthy? If his shell is firm, with no visible injuries, then you should provide him with enough water to swim and a land source that he can get up easily.


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## alphaandbree (May 4, 2012)

I would guess a Mud Turtle , I have to agree with the other posts, hes not a slider, due to the shell. I have a red eared slider and well that doesn't look like one, not even yellow eared. I have no idea.


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

Olympia said:


> He does look young.
> I'm going to have to say mud turtle, I've caught a lot of snappers and he looks nothing like one. They're total jerks and I'm sure you'd figure it out soon if he was a snapper. He doesn't have the beak. His tail is longer, but snappers don't have flat shells like that.
> The good news is that mud turtles are on the smaller range and easier to care for. All turtles are a challenge, but he should be easier than a slider.
> You're going to have to pick up a basking lamp, and a full spectrum UVA/UVB light. Some people say only UVB, but a full spectrum would be better for him, note that some bulbs say full spectrum but only provide one of the two, so look for one that says it has both UVA and UVB.
> ...


Great/helpful advice


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## ZackyBear (Dec 1, 2011)

Very cute.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Yes, thanks for the advice. I'm going to be going to a local reptile store today to pick up what he needs. Yay!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Turtles are extremely messy. I kept 2 res for years (before I had to rehome from my chronic lbp) .. Let me tell you!! lol My Fluval 405 4 chamber power filter couldn't keep their tank clean!! (granted for some time it went without proper cartridges and pieces broke off it once while they were shedding but) 

Good luck at the rep store!!!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Turtles are messy eaters. Some people just have a separate feeding tub that they put them in for 30min-1hour. Could be a good idea.


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## Crowntailed (Apr 19, 2012)

Mess i have found is not a problem as long as you have a good filter.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I fed my turtles in the bathtub (if they had live fish) and in a tote box for pellets and treats (not so gross to clean). And if you do that, leave them in the feeding tub until they poop!! lol


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

im sure my guinea pig is FAR messier than your adorable turtles 
He poops and pees ON what he eats


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Small animal poop/pee may seem gross. I thought my rabbit smelt nasty when I had her.. The first time my snake pooped though, I couldn't believe that anything could smell that nasty. Reptile poop is probably one of the grossest things you will ever smell. I usually wait a couple hours until it dries up to clean it, once it's dry it's not as bad.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Haha!! Turtle poop. Once during out time one of my turtles flipped over and couldn't get up and before I found him he pooped. I was surprised because aquatic turtles like _need_ to poop under water but he managed and it was gross and smelly!!!


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## FishyFishy89 (Jul 3, 2011)

i didnt know snakes could poop


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yep. All that undigested hair and bone has to go somewhere.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Gross, you guys. Lol so I found out he is a mud turtle for sure. But the dude said that he wouldn't need a heating or UVB lamp. I have a water heater in their from one of my tanks keeping the water at 78 degrees. He said that should be enough. Thoughts on this? He told me just to supplement with calcium and vitamin D powder and he'd be fine.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I'm a little outdated on my turtle care but I thought for the sake of being cold-blooded and for their shell they needed the sun's natural benefits ie. uva/uvb. Hmm. Maybe that's semi-aquatics. What kind of water does your turtle live in? terrarium? or aquarium. nvm. you said underwater heater... I'm not sure.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yes, the guy doesn't know much. All diurnal (daytime) reptiles need a source of UV. The UVBs help them with vitamin D3, which helps their bodies process calcium, which is key. Here's a good explanation, very helpful site.
The Importance of UV Light for Turtles & Tortoises


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

hmm... ok so now I'm wondering if I could do a UVA//UVB light with a tank heater for the water and NO heating lamp.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

From my understanding with sliders, the uva/uvb is absorbed directly onto their shells when they bask out of water. Sliders at least NEED to come completely out of water and bask in their lights as just having them on while they swim is not sufficient. They'll bask naturally. The heat lamp helps them warm up and regulate internal temperatures since they are cold blooded.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

You can try selling the water heater for some extra cash?
The waters around here where they're from are pretty chilly constantly so I don't think they need heated water, just a heated landing pad.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks for all the help. I will be planning another trip to an ever better reptile store to talk to their experts. So far, Donatello has been doing well. He eats like a pig and is starting to get used to us. He'll even chop food from our hands. He still does not have a heating/UVB bulb but we are going to be upgrading him soon to a 20Long tank. He's been really active and I honestly think he appreciates the heated water, probably because it's the only source of heat he has.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Wouldn't hurt to take him out for a bit every other day to get some rays until then.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

Wow, never thought of that. Would be ok to roam on the grass with my supervision, do you think?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yup!! 
Just take him to the same place everytime, too many new places will stress him.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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