Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 5 year old sawback, he's about 10" and I believe he is full grown. I saw some pics of the other sawbacks on this site and mine doesn't look the same... that is, not as healthy. I'm concerned about his diet and amount of daily basking(about 7 hours a day). His shell is very dark and flaky (but not soft), like he's alway peeling. Twice a day I feed him turtle sticks and at night give him some lettuce that he loves. Occasionally I'll give him dried shrimp as a treat. Do the shells darken naturally as turtles age or do I need to make a change to improve his health?

Thanks!

Female blackknobs get about 8'' and male only get up to around 5'' I'm not sure what the record is do. Its not wise to feed an adult turtle pellets daily it much protein. I only feed my turtles pellets 3 times after they are about 3''. It sound like your turtle male have excessive shedding a side effect from over eatting. Do you have any photos
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Leopard Geckos
1.1 Tangerine trempor albino
0.2 blizzards
1.1 Super Hypo Carrot tails (both Baldy)
1 amel corn snake

1.0.0 Common snapping turtle
0.1.0 Belize slider
0.1.0 Egyptian tortoise
0.0.1 blackknobbed sawback
0.0.1 stripeneck musk
0.0.1 nothern DBT
1.1.0 Rio Grande Cooters

just checked females get 10'' males 4'' how much pellets are you feeding daily?
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Leopard Geckos
1.1 Tangerine trempor albino
0.2 blizzards
1.1 Super Hypo Carrot tails (both Baldy)
1 amel corn snake

1.0.0 Common snapping turtle
0.1.0 Belize slider
0.1.0 Egyptian tortoise
0.0.1 blackknobbed sawback
0.0.1 stripeneck musk
0.0.1 nothern DBT
1.1.0 Rio Grande Cooters

I feed my turtle about a dozen sticks a day....half in the morning, the other half in the evening. I give a piece of green leaf or romaine lettuce in the evening, about 3" x 3". His roommate is a plecostamus, a very large one who loves the sticks too. Turtle's skin slightly protrudes from the shell around the back leg area. Do I feed him too often or too much? Should I change his diet somehow... any recommendations? I've heard of using feeder fish, not sure what kind, how large the fish should be or how often to give them. To be honest, I'm not certain he is a black knob sawback. I got him from a pet store chain several years ago and that's what the certificate says. Judging from the other pix I've seen, I'm uncertain the certificate is accurate. I've posted a couple of pix of him.... http://home.earthlink.net/~hire_shari/turtle.html You'll see that his shell coloring is very drab and he's quite large. I feel I'm doing something wrong. He is my first pet turtle. He seems to be happy and I intend to give him a pond to live in once I move out of my apartment, but until then is there anything I can do to improve his living situation? Currently, he is in a 30 gal. turtle tank (with the detachable plexiglass end) that fills to approx. 18 gal. I don't use a heater and the water stays around 75 degrees. He does bask a lot, so I wonder if the water is too cold or if I keep the light on too long. I read in a book that a long tail indicates a male, so I assume it is a "he." Again, with my inexperience, I'm just not sure. Well, I really appreciate your help in bettering my turtle's life.

Thanks!
Shari

Ummm - that turtle barely has room to turn around in the tank you have him in. He needs more room and he needs it fast! I have a 4" turtle in a 55 gallon tank and I'm looking to upgrade.

Alison

First thing firsts its a female no mistake on that I don't even have to see its tail no map turtle male get 10''. Males have very long fat tail and in maps are often dwarfed by females. Its a map I know that but not sure on what you where told. I'm going to find out for you do, I promise. And yes that turtle needs a bigger cage 90 gallon atleast! feed it more greens alot more maybe 2-3 leaves a day and go with feeding it pellets only three times a week, feed it about how many pellets would fit in its head a feeding. Feed other items once a week other veggies once in awhile fruits Also feed it roise reds, minnows, snails, earth worms, blood worms, ect once a week items should be no bigger than the width of its head.
Xavier
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Leopard Geckos
1.1 Tangerine trempor albino
0.2 blizzards
1.1 Super Hypo Carrot tails (both Baldy)
1 amel corn snake

1.0.0 Common snapping turtle
0.1.0 Belize slider
0.1.0 Egyptian tortoise
0.0.1 blackknobbed sawback
0.0.1 stripeneck musk
0.0.1 nothern DBT
1.1.0 Rio Grande Cooters

Tractor Supply Co. has stock tanks called "tuff stuff" for $52 for a 110 gallon. At the minimum, I would get that for her. You will need to build a basking spot for her. That aquarium is WAY too small.

Also as far as feeding, a varied diet will be best. At that age/size you should be feeding more greens than anything. Try to only offer pellets once in a while.

Jeff H.

you have a flase map turtle
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Leopard Geckos
1.1 Tangerine trempor albino
0.2 blizzards
1.1 Super Hypo Carrot tails (both Baldy)
1 amel corn snake

1.0.0 Common snapping turtle
0.1.0 Belize slider
0.1.0 Egyptian tortoise
0.0.1 blackknobbed sawback
0.0.1 stripeneck musk
0.0.1 nothern DBT
1.1.0 Rio Grande Cooters

Thanks everyone for all your advice. I will upgrade the size of her tank. When I do, what type of filtration do you recommend? Is the present basking area not appropriate? What do you suggest using instead of stacked rocks? You say she's a false map turtle... what does that mean? Is she not a black knob saw back? It sounds like I'm giving her the right diet, just need to add alittle variety to it. How about her shell - does it look normal? If not, what can I do to help her?

Thanks again!
Shari

Filtration depends if you buy another tank a canister filter than goes under the tank work well. I use XP3 but eheim is said to be the best. If you use a stock tank a pond filter would be better unless you like canisters and put the stock tank on top of table. I use a lugna internal filter for my 150 gallon stock tank it works well with a magdrive 5 pump. Its a map turtle but why they got the name false map I'm not sure its not a black knobb but both are member of the genus Graptemys. Any basking area will do as long as it can become fully dry an dout of the water. I would not use what you have right now in that tank it takes away from the little swimming area you have. The carapace seems to have mineral diposit on it its cause by hard water nothing bad.
Xavuer

>>Thanks everyone for all your advice. I will upgrade the size of her tank. When I do, what type of filtration do you recommend? Is the present basking area not appropriate? What do you suggest using instead of stacked rocks? You say she's a false map turtle... what does that mean? Is she not a black knob saw back? It sounds like I'm giving her the right diet, just need to add alittle variety to it. How about her shell - does it look normal? If not, what can I do to help her?
>>
>>Thanks again!
>>Shari
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Leopard Geckos
1.1 Tangerine trempor albino
0.2 blizzards
1.1 Super Hypo Carrot tails (both Baldy)
1 amel corn snake

1.0.0 Common snapping turtle
0.1.0 Belize slider
0.1.0 Egyptian tortoise
0.0.1 blackknobbed sawback
0.0.1 stripeneck musk
0.0.1 nothern DBT
1.1.0 Rio Grande Cooters

Jeff,
Whats the website
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Leopard Geckos
1.1 Tangerine trempor albino
0.2 blizzards
1.1 Super Hypo Carrot tails (both Baldy)
1 amel corn snake

1.0.0 Common snapping turtle
0.1.0 Belize slider
0.1.0 Egyptian tortoise
0.0.1 blackknobbed sawback
0.0.1 stripeneck musk
0.0.1 nothern DBT
1.1.0 Rio Grande Cooters

Jeff,

I looked at Tractor Supply Co.'s website and they have some great deals on metal/plastic tanks. Do you know of a place that sells glass aquariums really cheap? I don't have a place to put a tank like the ones I saw on the website

Thank you,
Shari