Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got an outdoor pond, but there's not enough animal diversity to suit my tastes. I'd like to add a RES or two.

The thing is, I've tried that before, and the turtle quickly disappeared. It didn't just hide, it was gone. The only explanation I can think of is that it decided to leave for some reason.

So my question is, what conditions do I need to ensure that my turtles stay. Is it better to use store bought turtles rather than wild turtles relocated from another pond? Could the turtle have left because its new home was smaller than its old home? Would buying a store bought turtle help? Even if the turtle spent its whole life in a 20 gallong aquarium, would it still consider my pond too small even though it's a huge improvement over its previous living conditions? Do I need to get a m/f pair? If I get just a male or just a female, might that cause it to leave in order to search for a potential mate?

If any of you have any experience in keeping them in ponds, I'd appreciate any input. I've looked at a few caresheets, but most of them focus on keeping them in aquariums and tubs.

I used to have 2 ponds in my yard, and I have always had turtles.....Maps, cooters, snappers and mostly sliders. All of them will run away if wild caught, their animal instinct tells them if larger water is near. The best I can recomend for you is to make either a small fence of some kind around the pond, or if you have the pond surrounded by flagstone or fieldstone rocks you can pile them up so they cannot get out. You must make sure you have a basking spot large enough for however many turtles to dry completely out of the water. Any turtle can get along just as long as it's not overcrowded.

What other animals do you have in the pond. The turtles will bother and stress out the fish. Also they will eventually eat the plants in their. I will also sugest a fence, and for the winter you will need to bring them inside.

you must have the area surrounding the pond fenced so they cannot escape. Or use flagstone to build up the walls around your pond and be sure to have an area for them to climb onto to bask.

If you get sliders and have a pond that is three feet deep or so you can winter them outside successfully (provided you put them out in the spring or early summer (when temps start climbing into the high 60's so that they can acclimate.

You will need an pond deicer to keep a whole open in the ice in the winter.

Also if you live in an area that experiences DEEP freezes and has a deep frost line it may not be advisable to keep them outside. I live in New York and we are around zone 7. The turtles do fine outside.