Why wont my turtle grow?
turtles grow very slowly and DO NOT grow to the size of their enclosure. They will grow to their normal size no matter what. I've had a spotted turtle for about a yr and he eats everything in sight (turtle sticks, mealworms, superworms, nightcrawlers, crickets) and I cant really notice any size difference but measurements show he has grown slightly so its not always so noticeable just by looking. Turtles live for a long long time and depending on the size of the turtle now which you didnt put it could already be an adult. Musk turtles do not get very big about 6 inches front to back of shell length and just because the pet store had it for six months doesnt mean its six months old it could be much older. only way to know the exact age is to buy from a breeder that keeps records. Musk turtles usually dont bask as much as other know baskers such as red ear sliders, painteds, yellow bellies, spotteds, but they will bask so a good heat source and uv light is neccesary I myself only use mercury vapor bulbs like ZooMed Powersuns if cage height allows. As long as you keep her healthy and fed properly just enjoy your musk turtle.
My new turtle won't go onto the basking rock?
No - you don't need to be concerned. Sometimes it can take a while for turtles in a new environment to settle in. Basking means being exposed to predators and so he won't bask until he feels safe. Make sure that he can get onto the rock easily. Also check your temperatures - if the water is too warm, he may not feel inclined to bask. Water temp should be about 72-75 degrees and the basking area should be 80-85 degrees. Hope that helps!
How many months into a pregnancy is a baby formed in the womb?
Original Question:“How many months into a pregnancy is a baby formed in the womb?”I see two ways of interpreting your question.1st interpretation— the word “formed”. Do you mean “fully formed” as in having arms, legs, muscles and bones, fingers and toes, a neck and head with a brain, and torso with internal organs, etc.?To answer that interpretation, a baby is “formed”, and looks like a human being — NOT a fish, NOT a blob, NOT a turtle, NOT like some round-headed alligator with a tail, NOT “Barney- the Purple Dinosaur” —- as early as 5 weeks after conception.How do I know this? Because I KNOW when I became pregnant and i miscarried THREE babies where I actually SAW the baby’s dead body at those exact weeks of pregnancy. At 5 weeks after conception the baby had easily seen finger and toe buds, or nubs. At 6 weeks, another baby had bends and joints in those fingers and toes. The baby body I saw at the 8 week mark from conception had the deformity of having all of his or her internal organs outside of the body. The nurses, doctor and I saw the heart, the lungs, the liver, stomach and intestines on the outside on the front of the chest and abdominal cavity.2nd interpretation — Are you asking this question in order to determine the safe viability so someone can go into a labor and birth inducing process? Or to schedule a C-section?Generally, the optimum length of time is 10 Lunar months, which is 280 days. (28 day lunar month X 10 lunar months = 280 days.)The best doctors do NOT induce labor if they don’t have a darn good reason to do so, based on lab work and reasonable proof there is a danger to the mother or the baby.Getting an UN-needed C-section is risky. It is MAJOR surgery!42 weeks of apparent gestation is still often quite safe. Remember, the actual date of conception is only an educated guess.As a side note—- one of our friends recently gave birth to a little baby boy. The doctors figured he was at full term and would be an 8 lb. baby— based on ultrasound and measurements. They went ahead and induced, because she was 5 days later than the calculated due date—and it was the Holiday season. The little guy was only a FIVE pound + several ounces baby. Even with science, things are not clearly known. The doctors in the OB practice agree it would have been better if the baby had had that extra week.
Why does my turtle keep trying to climb out of its tank?
All the others answers are correct. Wide space, clean water, enough food. I want to add one not mentioned yet, a shield or shelter.If you pay more attention, some times you will find the turtle is crawling towards a darker destination outside the tank. At least in this case, it is looking for a safer place to hide or to have a break, instead of staying in bright environment which is always a kind of stimuli for animals. If they are tired or feeling unsafe, lights will turn into day-nightmare.To have a shield, you certainly should get a big container for turtle. Not the round, heavy, fragile glass tanks from unprofessional pets shops. A big plastic sorting box or storage box is much better than those glass tanks.For a shield, half a clay flowerpot is perfect. Cut with a cutting machine or break the pot carefully with a hammer in vertical direction, of course. It is a cave and also a sunbath platform. The space in your turtle pool will be fully utilized. And the rough surface can trim turtles’ nail to keep their feet healthy. They gonna love it.
Turtles: What is the best tank size and configuration for Red Eared Sliders?
The general recommendation for tank size, which no doubt you've read, is as follows: [1]A general guideline is to find the adult size of your turtle and multiply the turtle's adult length by 5. That's how long the aquarium will need to be and will give your little friend plenty of room for doing laps.Take their adult length and multiply by 2.5 and that'll be how deep your water should be. This gives them plenty of room to move about freely and get some exercise, as well as allow you to place a basking area half way up and prevent your turtle from trying to escape. They are great climbers!For two turtles, no need to double the size--adding about an extra 1/3 should be sufficient. [1]Now, you can decide to get a tank that is appropriate for their size now, with the knowledge that before long you'll be upgrading; or you can accommodate for their adult sizes right off the bat and not worry about changing things later.So, for your Red-Eared Sliders, adult males are between 7 and 9 inches long, and adult females are between 10 and 12 inches long. [2] (Easiest way to sex a turtle is with the front feet: males have long nails and females' nails are close to the same length on all four feet. See image below. [3])Assuming both are small males, you'd need a tank 48" long and 24" high, which most closely matches a 65-, 75-, or 90-gallon tank. [4] If both are large females, at most you'd need a tank 80" long and 40" high, which is up in the 150- to 180-gallon range. [4] A good, safe medium would probably be a 150-gallon tank, which typically is 72"L x 18"W x 28"H. [4] (Wider tanks (often called "breeder" tanks) are good for turtles because they provide back-to-front space for them to turn around, which fish don't need.)As for configuration, to maximize swimming area as well as basking/dry area, my favorite is the suspended beach model. Here are some good examples (the last one is mine):Feel free to refer to the other information on the referenced sites below, or ask more questions here, or send me a personal message for follow-up.-- References --Turtle Care: Housing http://www.austinsturtlepage.com... [Austin's Turtle Page]Red-Eared Slider Care Sheet http://www.austinsturtlepage.com... [Austin's Turtle Page]How to Determine the Sex of a Slider http://www.redearslider.com/dete... [RedEarSliderV.2]Aquarium Sizes and Weights http://freshaquarium.about.com/o... [About.com]
Whats wrong with my turtle?!?! plzzz help! :(?
hi, you've got red eared slider? i've got them too.. five of them! last time i used to keep them in the little turtle cage or container, and after about 5 or six months, they became like yours. weak and won't eat at all! seriously, that was before. but now, eversince i learnt my lesson few years later, which is last year, i bought 2 new red eared slider,because those others died as they were sick. what i did was, i put the two new red eared sliders in my backyard pond. the terapins need sunlight, warmth, and a place to dive and swim and a rock to rest on and sunbathe on.. all you have to do dear is to put yur turtle in the pond under sunlight, and fill it with water and get a big rock for it to sunbath.. i guarantee your turtle would be fine in just 2 days! try it yourself, because, after i did these, my five turtles became so healthy, their skin was so green and bright, and they are so active! do not keep the red eared slider in the turtle cage or plastic container, also known as 'pond'. your turtle will die. i've experienced that before. i feel pain when my turtle was like yours, spitting out it's food, won't usually swim much, slowly it's shell would become soft, it's body will become cold, and it will die! i'm not scaring you, it's true! after reading this, please do as instructed, and pray that it'll eventually recover and live.. -chong
How often should I feed my red eared turtle?
Red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles can be fed daily as hatchlings and juveniles, reducing the feedings to every other day as adults. Some people choose to feed adults only every 3 days, while others prefer to stick to smaller meals and continue feeding them daily. The important thing is not to over feed your turtle, especially items high in proteins and fats for adults, as red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles often have voracious appetites and will "beg" for food.However often you feed, monitor the body condition of your turtle. If folds of skin are developing around the legs, especially when the turtle pulls its legs in, it is getting too fat and needs to be fed a smaller amount, or less often (or food with a lower fat content). Remember that adults are quite herbivorous, so if your turtle seems overly hungry, try feeding more leafy greens and plant materials rather than pellets or prey items.How Much to FeedThis will depend a bit on your individual turtle. A good rule of thumb is to feed as much as your turtle will consume in 15 minutes. If you feed in a separate container, it is easier to monitor how much and how fast your turtle eats. It is important to offer a variety of foods at the same time -- don't just give your turtle its favorite items.As an alternative guideline, another common "rule of thumb" is to give meals that are roughly the same size (in total volume) as the turtle's head and neck. Still, you'll need to monitor your turtle's body condition and adjust if necessary.Keep in mind, that if you are feeding strictly by these rules, feeding every day might be too much, and every two or three days might be too little. You will likely need to adjust the amount you give your turtle. The best guide is to monitor your turtle's weight and condition, and with a little experience you will get to know better how much your turtle can eat and stay in good condition. You also do not want to let juvenile turtles grow too quickly.Most red eared sliders can live up to 45-60 years, most will not survive 2 years. Are you taking the best possible care of your red eared slider? Here are some signs you may not be:
My turtle won't stop twitching?
I have two baby red-eared sliders, both about six months old, and one of them seems to be constantly twitching. I noticed last night while I was feeding them. I noticed that his head was twitching, but didn't think much of it. I figured he was still getting food down or something. Right now he's basking and I noticed that he's still twitching--his arms, his legs, and his head. Every few seconds his legs will pop out, or his arms will pop out and start swirling weirdly, or his head will jerk. I know they often stick their limbs out while basking, and he usually does, but I've never seen this twitching behavior from him, or my other turtle. Sometimes all his limbs will twitch at once but it's usually just certain ones. This isn't normal, is it? Is it worth taking him to a vet? Does anyone have an idea why this is happening/what I should do about it?