Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, let me give some background (this is a little long, please bare with me). A year and a half ago (in June) a women at my work got a turtle. Her husband saw a group of turtles that must have just hatched making their way to the lake. He picked one up for his kids and for the last year and a half, it has lived in a small glass bowl with a rock and nothing else. She said the kids gave up on it and she stopped feeding it, so I begged her to give him to me. I got him last night and to my surprise, after a year and a half he is about the size of a half dollar (maybe slightly larger, maybe). I tried feeding him some crickets, cuddlebone, aquatic plant, pellets, shrimp and flies. He ate one pellet and that was it. Maybe the car ride to my house stressed him out? I will try again tonight. I put him in with my RES who is about 4 inches long (maybe a little less) and they seemed to get along okay (I am keeping my eye on my RES as I had a small turtle die before and he made a meal of him while I was at work. He must have dies that morning, it was very sad, my baby redbelly). In fact, the women saw a picture of my redbelly and thought that was what hers was, but it is actually an Eastern Painted. I was nervous putting them together and was going to seperate them during the day while I was at work, but the little guy was so happy to have a basking lamp and UVB light that he was sunning himself all morning and I left him in there. I hope they are okay as the RES doesn't seem to be picking on him just yet. I will keep my eye on them and seperate if needed. I just hope he is okay when I get home today. Anyhow, I was nervous about the condition of his shell. The painteds shell looks a little flat, but this may be common in painteds and turtles this small. Never had one THIS small. Also, The underneath (plastron) seemed a little soft. Not mushy like I would expect soft shell, but it seemed it would push in a little (or was flexible) down that center crack on a turtles plastron. Also, the back end of top shell (by his tail) seemed flexible as well, but i wouldn't call it soft. The sides were solid where I picked him up from. His shell also has a lot of algae on it as I do not think she ever cleaned the water in the tiny glass bowl (it was disgusting). Is this signs of soft shell or is this common for a turtle a year and half old that that size is the size of a half dollar? I know baby turtles still have a slightly softer shell, but at a year and half? Any help would be appreciated. Also, how can I get him to start eating as I know it is so important to get calcium in this little guy. Thanks for your help.

Ok, first off,
I had a hatchling Painted Turtle when I was 6, it was my first ever turtle. It lived for about 6 months and died because I was young and didn't know it needed calcium and basking light etc. You should try to feed it worms or little guppies,minnows or goldfish. They sell(most of the time)stuff with just calcium, there is stuff called Calcio etc. I suggest that you sprinkle a little(not much,too much could kill it)into the water in hopes that it eats and it digests some. A little Calcium intake will help it get back to good health if it isn't in such good health now. I think most of all you should maybe just let it bask. Don't disturb it while it's basking, it could bask for sometimes like 12 hours a day. Let it. It's shell could be soft for that reason not for Calcium intake(which is probrobly another factor anyway). Give it time. As soon as it adjusts it will most likely eat.
Michael Fedzen
EMAIL ME