Turtle People...Need help/advice

[Ace]

Hey all,

i hope there are experienced turtle people out there, because, i wanted to ask if anyone can identify what kind of turtle my mom has....well, he is has been with the family for quite some time, so my mom has been doing something right.....my mom got him as a baby in 1985

still with us to this day, and no signs of getting old.....i tried to search for myself, but couldnt...also if you do know anything about "properly" raising the turtle we have, please dont hesistate to post info please...

T.I.A

 

[ReptilexLover]

you may have a box turtle.im not sure, but that's what it looks like.

 

[Ace]

you may have a box turtle.im not sure, but that's what it looks like.

thank you for your input....may i ask what is making you unsure...does he have unusual charactersitcs that do not show "full box turtle" and maybe something else?

 

[Michael Ryan]

That would be a yellow bellied slider.

 

[Michael Ryan]

Suppose this would be a simple enough care sheet:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-yellowbelly.htm

 

[Lil nasty]

Dang that thing is as old as me

 

[Ace]

That would be a yellow bellied slider.

Michael YOU are the man..THx so much man.....that is exactly how our turtle is, and the simple enough care sheet is awsome.....

also, i looked in the link, but i did not see how long these turtes live in captivity????

our "yellow bellied slider" is 26 years old!!!...i know turtes live long, but damn

 

[ABbuggin]

Michael YOU are the man..THx so much man.....that is exactly how our turtle is, and the simple enough care sheet is awsome.....

also, i looked in the link, but i did not see how long these turtes live in captivity????

our "yellow bellied slider" is 26 years old!!!...i know turtes live long, but damn

Not sure of their life span, but I've collected yellow-bellied sliders 3-4 times the size of yours...it has a waaaaaaaaaaays to go.

 

[Ace]

Not sure of their life span, but I've collected yellow-bellied sliders 3-4 times the size of yours...it has a waaaaaaaaaaays to go.

well...he is very small, my mom told me he was the smallest of the clutch, from somewhere.....but yeah the turtle is 10 years older than me....

and i think you mite of gotten a females, mine maybe a male since i just read they are generally smaller than females....

 

[Michael Ryan]

Not sure of their life span, but I've collected yellow-bellied sliders 3-4 times the size of yours...it has a waaaaaaaaaaays to go.

If I remember correctly they can live 40+ years in captivity.

 

[Ace]

If I remember correctly they can live 40+ years in captivity.

damn.....if my life goes in the right direction, this little guy will see my children...thats freakin amazing, to see 3 generations of my family(my mom, then me, and hopefully my kids =P)

 

[PrettyInInk87]

Woah, that's crazy and AWESOME!

 

[Eltortu]

damn.....if my life goes in the right direction, this little guy will see my children...thats freakin amazing, to see 3 generations of my family(my mom, then me, and hopefully my kids =P)

Wow! Hold on there cowboy, first you got to get a girlfiend!...ha!

 

[Chris Anderson]

Sorry everyone but I'm going to disagree and say that this turtle is not a box turtle or a yellow-bellied slider. I'm pretty sure its a cooter, probably a peninsula cooter. Yellow-bellied sliders have a broad yellow "check" like band on their cheeks while cooters have thinner stripes on the head.

Chris

 

[Julirs]

Sorry everyone but I'm going to disagree and say that this turtle is not a box turtle or a yellow-bellied slider. I'm pretty sure its a cooter, probably a peninsula cooter. Yellow-bellied sliders have a broad yellow "check" like band on their cheeks while cooters have thinner stripes on the head.

Chris

That would explain the size. I am pretty sure they are illegal to keep here in FL?

 

[james L]

I agree with Chris. Looks like a cooter. Its healthy looking to me, so whatever your moms been doing, she being doing it right. Goodluck and thanks for sharing!!!

 

[Montium]

That would explain the size. I am pretty sure they are illegal to keep here in FL?

And you base that statement on what? You may not take them from the wild but you can buy them as pets.

http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/SpeciesInfo_FreshwaterTurtles.htm

 

[ChameleonRave]

That turtle is a Peninsula Cooter, they can live very long just like any turtle. I've had turtles all my life and i have turtles right now. only 4 since I'm downsizing. I keep RES and Western Painteds, and a Pearl River Map Turtle. Here is a link to ATP its a Red-Belly Cooter turtle which is very similar to the Peninsula. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-flredbelly.htm
try checking out http://www.turtleforum.com, you can get all the help you need for that turtle and more and you get great info and help just like these forums. if you want any help just PM me

also what is its habitat like? The Peninsula Cooters get very large when adults as I'm sure you know, but they need a very big enclosure just like Red Eared Slider's I would recommend a 120 gallon tank or an outdoor pond, what do you use for lighting, basking, feeding, water temps, air temps, filtration? there is more but I'm forgetting some and is it a male or female? can you post pictures of the tail top and bottom and nails. that is the best way to tell sex. if the nails are long its the best indicator its a male if they are short its the best indicator its a female.

 

[Ace]

Sorry everyone but I'm going to disagree and say that this turtle is not a box turtle or a yellow-bellied slider. I'm pretty sure its a cooter, probably a peninsula cooter. Yellow-bellied sliders have a broad yellow "check" like band on their cheeks while cooters have thinner stripes on the head.

double posted, my bad

 

[Ace]

Sorry everyone but I'm going to disagree and say that this turtle is not a box turtle or a yellow-bellied slider. I'm pretty sure its a cooter, probably a peninsula cooter. Yellow-bellied sliders have a broad yellow "check" like band on their cheeks while cooters have thinner stripes on the head.

Chris

Thank you Chris for putting your input. and most likely correct assuption of what our turtle is, i feel a little dissappointed, i thought it was a slider for sure, but i will keep searching info and now on Cooters. (sigh), back to the drawing board....